


The Path of Least Resistance

by broedym



Series: Welcome to Resistance [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, Ben Solo | Kylo Ren does not appear in this, DameRey, Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Kes ships it, Leia Organa Ships It, Modern AU, Poe Needs A Hug, Rey Needs A Hug, Single Dad Poe, doctor rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-20 23:48:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17632079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broedym/pseuds/broedym
Summary: Dr. Rey Kenobi is ready to move across the country to start a prestigious surgical residency and a new life.An unexpected detour to the small town of Resistance forces her to deal with the unusual locals, and to face situations that she never planned on...as well as her own inner demons.





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Continuing my 90’s movie nostalgia, this is inspired by Doc Hollywood with a few Damerey twists.
> 
> HUGE shout out to [toomanyshipstosail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanyshipstosail) who mentioned the idea of Rey and Poe as doctors in another story comment. I went for it, at least halfway. Thank you! xx
> 
> Rey is aged up in this story as a post-internship medical doctor.

Rey had two weeks.

Two weeks to drive from Baltimore to Los Angeles, leaving behind one understaffed county hospital for a prestigious surgical residency at a swanky private one. If hospitals could be considered swanky, this was it.

Two weeks to move her worldly possessions from a dank studio apartment in a bad neighborhood to a two bedroom condo subsidized by the hospital, to be shared with another resident. They hadn’t met yet but they’d spoken on the phone and her soon-to-be roommate didn’t appear to be a sociopath.

Two weeks until she could start a new life.

As she packed up the last of the U-Haul trailer, Rey hoped the guy at the hire place had been right in his assessment that her second hand Prius was up to towing all her belongings across the country. Her furniture and stuff wasn’t worth much, not enough to justify shipping it and flying herself to LA instead, but it was hers and she wasn’t ready to part with it.

She was looking forward to the road trip, anyway. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had two weeks off without some form of job to go to, not since she was fifteen. Even during medical school she’d always worked part time so any breaks from classes were filled with bartending or waitressing or anything else she could do to supplement her partial scholarship and student aid. Now she had plenty of time to drive in blissful solitude, maybe see some sights along the way, before spending a few days unpacking and adjusting to west coast life.

She definitely had no regrets leaving Mercy General and her first year internship behind. The last 12 months had been filled with seemingly endless shifts, working in the crowded ER or rotating through specialties with the common depressing theme of too many patients and not enough beds. Fix ‘em and turf ‘em was the rule, all while cutting costs and avoiding expensive malpractice lawsuits.

So when she had an opportunity to continue her residency at a privately funded hospital in a wealthy locale where it didn’t snow, Rey didn’t hesitate to apply. She was always near the top of her class so grades were never the issue, but the competition for one of the limited spaces in the program was fierce. Luckily Dr. Rey Kenobi was competitive. And fierce.   

She didn’t look back as pulled away from the curb, leaving her old life behind her.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

She took her time the first day, stopping every few hours to stretch and grab a snack. She’d gotten through her entire road trip playlist, singing along to hits from her childhood at the top of her lungs whether the windows were up or down, feeling completely carefree.

On day two Rey switched to the radio and had to skip through country music channels and religious sermons preaching hellfire to find anything halfway decent to listen to. She gave up and cycled through the best of the ‘90’s on her phone again. She didn’t stop as frequently as the idealized notion of driving across country gave way to the monotonous reality of the highway.

On day three she left her cheap motel room not long after sun up, and was determined to drive right through to lunch time except for bathroom breaks. A couple of extra days acclimating in LA wouldn’t go astray, so the sooner she got there the better. By midday her stomach was rumbling so she got off the interstate and headed for the nearest town. It was further than she’d realized when she finally saw the sign for Resistance, population 1953.

Rey wondered if the size of the town matched the year it was stuck in as she drove up the quiet main street. It really did look as if it were in a time warp, with stately old shop fronts that housed unique small businesses and not the ubiquitous coffee chains or juice places she was used to. She passed one diner and then a bistro that seemed to be closed, before finally pulling up to a bar. It was hot enough to enjoy a little liquid refreshment with lunch, and she figured she deserved it after all the driving she’d been doing.

The bar was cool and dark when she entered, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did she saw a handful of older patrons who paid her no attention. She took a seat at the bar and nodded a greeting to the bartender.

He gave her a friendly grin. “Hey there. Welcome to Path o’ Least.”

Rey was confused. “Huh?”

“Path of Least...Resistance,” he clarified a little sheepishly. “I guess it’s better on a sign than said out loud. My wife tells me I need to give it up and call this place something else. What can I get you?”

“Whatever beer you’ve got on tap is fine,” she said. “Do you have a kitchen?”

“Sure do, best burgers in town.” He handed her a short menu after he’d poured her drink.

“Sounds good. I’ll take a cheeseburger and fries.” Rey held up her beer in a half-toast. “Here’s hoping it doesn’t lead ‘to crooked rivers and crooked men’.”

The bartender, who looked to be about her age, just blinked. “What’s that?”

“Thoreau… His famous path of least resistance quote,” Rey explained, then remembered why she wasn’t great at small talk. Not everyone was into 19th Century Transcendentalists.

“Okay.”

He walked off to put her order in and she quickly dug out a battered paperback from her bag to ward off any overly-friendly locals who might look to strike up a conversation. Luckily they and the bartender left her alone, except when she ordered another beer after her first was quickly gone and he brought out her burger.

“Here you go, Thoreau,” he said.

“No, my name’s not—” She stopped when she realized he was joking with her.

“Shout if you need anything. My name’s Finn, by the way.” He grinned at her again before moving off to talk to the other patrons.

Rey made short work of the food which was surprisingly good, given the random location, and hastened to get back on the road. She caught Finn’s eye so she could settle up.

“You staying in town?” he asked as he dropped the check in front of her. “It’s quiz night tomorrow. I bet you’d be good at it.”

“Just passing through. You were right about the burger though, thanks.” She left a few notes on the counter and got up to leave.

“Anytime. You have yourself a good day.”

When she got outside Rey checked her watch and felt like she could easily keep going until nightfall if she got a decent coffee along the way. As picturesque as Resistance was, she didn’t want to waste more time and was soon on her way back to the interstate.

Once she cleared the town limits and was searching for any kind of music on the radio, Rey looked up from the controls just in time to see a flash of silver blocking the road ahead of her. She slammed on the brakes and swerved but couldn’t avoid the impact as her car collided with the rear of another vehicle and she plowed into the ditch by the side of the road.

“What the fuck?” she shouted as soon as she had her wits about her after the jarring stop. She ignored the painful slice of the seatbelt across her body and freed herself from the car, not realizing the ditch was full of swampy water and now her shoes were soaked.

Rey was hot with anger when she saw that the U-Haul trailer had jack-knifed into the back of her car, causing damage there in addition to the front. She turned her attention to the other vehicle and the two men by the side of the road who were staring at her, open-mouthed.

“You hit my car!” one of the men shouted. She did a quick visual assessment and saw no injuries. He was in his early 70’s, she guessed, but didn’t look like he’d been inside when the impact happened.

“You were stopped in the middle of the road!” she yelled back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The other man, taller and sporting a bushy head of hair and matching beard growled something she couldn’t decipher.

“That’s obvious,” the first man said to him before turning his attention back to Rey. “Why weren’t you looking where you were going?”

“Call me crazy, I didn’t expect a car to be parked in the middle of the road. I’m fine, by the way, thanks for asking.” She reached where they were standing and saw a large porcupine meandering over the bitumen, completely oblivious to the ruckus around it. “ _That’s_ why you were stopped?”

“Was I supposed to run over it?” he shot back, far more concerned with his car. “Aw, look what you did!”

They looked at the damage to the solid old convertible which had fared a lot better than Rey’s Prius. Its chunky chrome bumper was bent at one end and there was a decent dent where the taillights had been.

“This is a vintage 1960 Ford Falcon, girly. I restored her myself. Look at this,” he groused, testing the loosened bumper. “I can’t get a replacement for this.”

“Maybe try getting a car from this millennium,” she muttered under her breath but there was clearly nothing wrong with his ears as he glared at her. “Listen, I’m sorry about your car, but you were stopped in the middle of the road. We can just let our insurance companies handle it.”

“I don’t think so,” he said and pointed a finger at her. “Chewie, call Artie and get him down here.”

The other man mumbled something into his cell while the older man kept berating her over his beloved car. Rey was more concerned with the state of her own and the hired trailer, and barely had time to wonder who Artie was before she saw the sheriff’s vehicle coming to a stop behind them.

A squat, bald officer emerged from the cruiser, adjusting his gun belt and badge over his blue uniform as he approached them.

“What’s the trouble, Han?”

“She’s the trouble. Look what she did to the Falcon!”

The officer gave a sympathetic whistle when he inspected the damage. Rey stepped in and gave her side of the story, ignoring the other man’s interjections. When asked she handed over her license and registration.

“Miss Rey Kenobi,” the officer said, peering at the documents.

“Dr. Kenobi,” she corrected him tetchily.

“Oh, _Dr._ Kenobi. Have you had any alcohol today, doc?”

Rey’s mouth went dry and she instantly regretted having the second large beer at lunch. When she said she had the sheriff tutted disapprovingly under his breath and the man called Han looked smug. She was led back to the cruiser and given a breath test.

It’ll be fine, she told herself, it was just two beers.

The sheriff tutted again. “Oh dear.”

“Ha! I knew it!” said Han. “Book her and take her down the courthouse, Artie. I want her charged.”

“Now, Han, that’s not your call to make. But you will need to come with me, doc. You blew 0.08.”

“Fuck!” Rey replied which caused a sharp intake of breath by the officer.

“Language, please. Come on now. I won’t cuff you, if you promise to behave.”

She had never felt so humiliated as she slid into the back seat of the cruiser while Han and his friend got into the convertible.

“What about my car and trailer?” she demanded.

“I’ll see they’re towed to the garage, don’t you worry now.”

Easier said than done, she thought, and cursed her own stupidity for the whole situation.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Before long Rey found herself sitting at the defendant’s table in the town’s single courtroom next to a nervous young woman who was her appointed attorney. Connix was her name, she reminded herself. Soon after an older woman entered dressed informally in overalls and a straw hat and took her place at the prosecutor’s table.

“I had almost finished planting the last of my zinnias,” she said in a gravelly voice. “You couldn’t sort this out without me, Kay?”

“Sorry, Leia, the judge was insistent.”

The older woman made a face as she started reading the charge sheet in front of her. There was movement at the front of the court and Rey was surprised to see the tall hairy man enter from the side in a bailiff’s uniform. He barked an order for everyone to rise. At least, that’s what she guessed he said when the few people in the room got to their feet and she followed suit.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rey groaned when the black-gowned judge entered and she saw it was the same grouchy man from the accident. Han banged his gavel noisily as he took his seat.

“Sit. Let’s dispense with the reading, we all know why we’re here,” he growled. “Kay, I assume she’s pleading guilty on all counts?”

“Sorry, Judge, can you please confirm the charges?” Connix asked meekly.

“It says here driving under the influence and wanton vehicular damage – with a fine to be imposed in the amount of $20,000?” Leia intoned. “Judge, really?”

Rey squeaked a protest that got caught in her throat.

“She hit the Falcon!” the judge roared.

“You were stopped in the middle of the road!” she blurted out, unable to keep silent any longer.

“Order!” Han banged his gavel again and stared daggers at her.

“May I approach the bench?” Leia asked calmly. When he agreed she paused briefly by Rey. “You’re a medical doctor?”

“Yes. I’m about the start my residency.”

The older woman nodded then moved to talk quietly to the judge.

“Aren’t you supposed to be up there too? You know, defending me?” Rey whispered angrily at the lawyer beside her.

Connix blanched at the suggestion. “Better let Leia talk him down. He’s her husband.”

“What the fuck,” Rey grumbled. “I don’t have that kind of money. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

Connix clearly had no answers. The conversation at the front of the courtroom was growing more heated but she couldn’t hear exactly what was being said. Soon Leia turned around with a triumphant smile.

“Dr. Kenobi, under the circumstances perhaps we could come to an arrangement – a plea bargain, if you will.”

“She’s guilty!” the judge interjected but was ignored by his wife.

“Instead of a fine, I’m hoping you’ll accept a community service order instead. To be undertaken at our clinic here in town.”

“What? You want me to work here?” Rey asked, feeling like she wasn’t quite following.

“Exactly. We seem to find ourselves without a regular doctor at the moment so why don’t we say 20...no, 25 hours in the medical clinic in exchange for dropping all charges?”

“What about the cost of fixing the Falcon?” Han demanded but was again ignored. Leia’s serene focus was on Rey.

“I can’t work in your clinic. What kind of prosecutor are you?” she said, her tone full of disdain.

“She’s also our mayor,” Connix leaned in to whisper loudly.

“I don’t care who she is! Absolutely not.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather take community service over a DUI conviction and a hefty fine, doctor?”

Rey’s eyes widened at the mention of a conviction and so did Leia’s knowing smile.

“You can’t force me to work for you,” she stammered.

“I can, unless you’d rather spend the time in a jail cell,” the judge decreed.

“This is extortion!”

“Now it’s 35 hours,” he bit back. “Do you want to go for 45?”

Rey shut her mouth and fumed.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

“Here we are!” Leia said cheerily as Rey slid out of her massive pickup truck in front of what looked like a house.

In a shockingly short space of time she’d gone from cruising down the highway to being caught in her own private hell. She was having a hard time coming to terms with it all.

“This is your clinic?” she asked, dismayed.

“I’ll give you the tour.” Leia took off up the path while Rey reluctantly followed.

She noted the faded sign hanging from the letterbox that read ‘Resistance Medical Clinic, Luke Skywalker, M.D.’

“Where is Dr. Skywalker?” she called out after her and Leia waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, up in the woods somewhere. He’s semi-retired now, my brother. Only he acts like he’s fully retired. The old goat.”

Jesus, Rey thought. The mayor is the prosecutor who’s married to the judge, and is sister of the town doctor. For all Rey knew the court-appointed attorney was her daughter. Was everyone interrelated in this place?

“Luke is on call if you need him, but I’m sure you’re more than capable of looking after the day to day cases in the clinic. After you,” Leia said, holding the door open for her.

Rey entered to find a small but neat waiting room and front desk, with rooms leading off the hallway that extended to the back of the building. Suddenly a blonde, white-frocked gargantuan of a nurse loomed behind the desk, giving her a fright. She was even wearing a little peaked cap the likes of which Rey had only ever seen in old movies.

“Ah there you are,” Leia said. “Dr. Kenobi, Nurse Phasma. She’ll see to all your needs in the clinic. Dr. Kenobi will be joining us here for a week or so.”

“Not ‘or so’,” Rey replied quickly. I need to be in LA by next Wednesday at the latest.”

“Oh yes, you said.” Leia was paying little attention as she dug her phone out of the pocket of her overalls.

Rey noticed the nurse was staring at her with narrowed eyes. She returned the expression, refusing to show she was intimidated even though the incredibly tall woman made her feel exactly that way.

“I just need to make a call about your accommodation, dear, give me a moment.” Leia stepped away.

Phasma reached under the desk and dropped a heavy binder on the counter, making Rey jump.

“The clinic operating manual. You will adhere to these guidelines as I’ve laid them out, doctor.”

“Fine,” Rey said through gritted teeth. “Perhaps you could show me around.” If it’s not too much trouble, Nurse Ratched, she added silently.

Phasma led her into a cluttered office followed by an examination room. It reminded Rey of the veterinary clinic she had worked summers in during high school. Not exactly high tech.

“Where’s the nearest referring hospital?” she asked as she poked around a few drawers and inspected the EKG machine that appeared to be at least two decades old.

“St. Clara’s, an hour away.”

Rey shook her head, wondering again how she’d found herself in this ridiculous predicament. She should have been worrying about what motel she’d stay at that night, somewhere down the highway, not how she was supposed to spend the next few days in indentured servitude because she’d had one too many beers at lunch and some old fool parked his stupid car in the road. And her car was also damaged, costing God knows what to fix. What Rey did know was that she didn’t have the time or the money to deal with any of it. She needed to get to LA so she could start her new job and her new life.

Phasma ended the short tour with the staff room at the back of the clinic, warned her not to eat any food in the fridge that wasn’t hers, then abruptly left her there to wait for Leia. Clearly there were no patients so she couldn’t start her community service just yet. Rey dumped the binder on a table and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

“You don’t want to drink that, it’s yesterday’s.”

She turned with a start to find a dark-haired man leaning against the doorway. Rey’s instant, inappropriate thought was about how hot he was, followed by a more physical response when he smiled at her and the corners of his eyes crinkled. However, like it so often did, her fight response flared at the suggestion that she’d been caught doing the wrong thing.

“Is the tap water safe to drink, then?” she snapped.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” he responded in an amused tone.

Rey didn’t bother answering and filled her mug with water instead, wishing it was vodka so she could drown her sorrows.

“You’re the new doc, huh?” he asked, walking into the room.

“Apparently so. At least temporarily.”

“I’m Poe. I drive the ambulance.”

“Rey Kenobi,” she said, deciding to at least be civil as she shook his outstretched hand. “Is there a big need for an ambulance here?”

“Nope,” he admitted with a full grin.

Damn, he was even cuter when he did that, she pondered distractedly, then banished the notion.

“Do you know where my car would’ve been taken to get repaired?”

“Sure, the only mechanic in town is Tico’s Auto Shop. Rose will look after it.”

“Where is it? I really need to check on the damage.”

I’m going to need it to get the hell out of Dodge, Rey thought, already calculating the merits of making a run for it if her car was drivable. She doubted Artie the sheriff would bother tracking her down all the way in LA if she went on the lam before her sentence was up.

“I can take you there if you like. It’s not far.”

“Thanks,” Rey said, feeling a little less prickly. It was the first offer of help she’d received since the whole mess started.

Leia was coming to look for her just as Rey and Poe headed for the front door.

“Oh good, there you are. Kes has agreed to put up Dr. Kenobi in his guest house, so you can make sure she gets there in one piece, Poe.”

“I think I can handle it,” he replied with a wink at the mayor.

Leia shook Rey’s hand. “Great to have you here with us, doc.”

She smiled weakly in response but the older woman didn’t seem to notice as she bid them all goodbye, planted her straw hat back on her head, and left them to it.

“Where’s your car?” Rey asked when she and Poe followed Leia outside.

“We’re walking. Like I said, it’s not far.” He ran a hand over his stubbled chin as Rey fell into step beside him. “So, you’re heading to LA?”

“Trying to.”

“What’s there?”

“A residency. An important surgical residency at an important hospital.”

“Wow, sounds important.”

She ignored his sarcasm. “Except now I’m stuck here in the back of beyond.”

“Yeah, I heard about the Falcon. Tough break.”

Rey hoped he hadn't heard about the DUI, and was relieved that he didn’t mention it. It wasn’t exactly her proudest moment and she’d be happy for no one to find out.

“Honestly, it barely has any damage. My car on the other hand…”

“Well, let’s find out.” Poe pointed to the building they had just reached not more than a block from the clinic, which was Tico’s garage.

“Hey, Rosie! You here?” he called out when there was no one in the office or the yard.

An old garage door opened to reveal a young woman in green overalls, obviously pregnant.

Rose was wiping her oily hands on a rag. “Hey Poe. Is this Dr. Kenobi?”

“That’s me,” Rey said.

“We came to see what the verdict is,” Poe added.

“Come on back.” Rose led them into the workshop where Rey’s Prius was there with its engine exposed. “The body work is not too bad, but there’s engine damage.”

Rey felt a wave of panic. “Can you fix it?”

“Rose can fix anything,” Poe assured her.

The mechanic smiled at the compliment and nodded enthusiastically. “I mean, I’ll need to order a couple of parts but I don’t think it’ll be more than a few days. There’s not much call for hybrid repair round here.”

Rey exhaled in dismay, realizing she really was stuck there for now. “Do you know how much it’ll cost?”

“I’m sure your insurance will cover it. We can sort it out with them.”

“Thank you,” she said, relieved at some good news finally. The last thing she needed was to withdraw what little savings she had left just to get herself back on the road to LA.

“Hey, babe! You about done for the day?”

They turned at the sound of the booming voice and Rey saw the bartender from earlier.

“Hi Poe,” Finn said, then saw Rey. “Hey, Thoreau! I thought you were just passing through?”

“D’you know each other?” Poe asked.

“I had lunch at the bar,” she explained before turning back to Finn. “It’s Rey Kenobi, actually.”

“Dr. Kenobi,” Poe said for Finn's benefit. “She’s going to be working at the clinic this week.”

“Oh yeah? Hang on, you’re the one who busted up the judge’s car this afternoon?”

Rey fought the temptation to roll her eyes – did everyone know?

“We should probably get you settled in at Kes’s,” Poe interjected smoothly, and she wondered if he sensed her embarrassment and need to leave.

“Come on, your trailer’s around back.” Rose led them all out of the workshop. “The boys hooked it up to our spare truck. I thought you might like the use of a loaner while yours is getting fixed.”

Rey eyed off the battered old pickup that, like the rest of the town, was from another era. “Oh, gee. Thanks.”

“I’ll let you know how I go getting those parts. I should probably come see you in the clinic anyway,” said Rose, cradling her belly.

“Of course,” she replied distractedly. “I guess I’ll be there in the morning.”

“Hey, don’t forget the quiz night tomorrow,” Finn piped up, his arm slipping around Rose’s shoulder. “You’ll be here after all.”

Rey tried to smile but it was more of a grimace. She thanked Rose and went to the driver’s side of the pickup while Poe got into the passenger seat. Rey took one look at the console and saw it was a stick shift that she had no idea how to drive.

“Maybe I should drive, I know the way,” Poe said with a twinkle in his eye. “Scoot over.”

Rey’s cheeks flushed as she climbed into the passenger’s seat while Poe moved around the pickup to get behind the wheel. He waved goodbye to Finn and Rose and drove it out of the shop yard.

Once they were on the road Rey tried to pay attention to where they were going so she could find her way back, but soon the town buildings gave way to forest and she found her eyelids growing heavier. It had been one hell of a day and it was catching up with her faster than she anticipated.

“Where is this place?” she asked to keep herself from falling asleep right then.

“Out by the lake, just up here. Kes has a guest house you’ll be staying in.”

Rey gave up trying to protest others organizing her life around her, and just went with it.

“It really is the path of least resistance,” she murmured to herself.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He soon pulled into a long tree-lined driveway leading to a clearing that Rey, even in her wearied state, thought was beautiful. An expansive lake was before them and wooded hills rose up behind it where the sun was beginning its descent. Poe stopped the pickup next to a small house where an older man emerged. A larger dwelling with an impressive garden was located a short distance away.

“Welcome, you must be Dr. Kenobi!”

“This is Kes,” Poe said and Rey shook his hand.

“Leia called. The guest house is all ready for you.”

“Thank you.” She knew she was probably supposed to make small talk but she didn’t have it in her at the best of times. And this definitely wasn’t the best of times for Rey.

“Let’s get your things unpacked,” Poe suggested.

“There’s just a suitcase – the rest can stay in the trailer. I won’t be needing any of it for now.”

Poe retrieved it for her and carried it into the house while Rey and Kes followed.

“There’s fresh linen and towels,” Kes said as she looked around the space. It was plain but had everything she needed, which was mostly just a bed at this point. “Supper will be ready soon if you’d like to come up to the main house.”

“I think I’ll just turn in.” The men shared a look and Rey didn’t care if she sounded ungracious. “It’s been a really long day.”

“I’ll run you up to the clinic tomorrow morning,” Poe offered.

“Thanks,” she said, edging them towards the door. “Goodnight.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” Kes called out as she closed it without another word.

Rey sighed and pressed her back against the wooden frame. She decided she couldn’t even be bothered to change or brush her teeth, the double bed with its quaint patchwork quilt was too enticing. She kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the soft mattress and was asleep before she could even think about what a disaster her day had turned into.

 


	2. What’s Up, Doc?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey tries to adjust to work and life in Resistance, and encounters a small, unwanted visitor.

Rey stretched languidly when she woke the next morning. For a few glorious seconds she forgot where she was, until it all came flooding back with a sickening thud.

She was stuck in a Podunk town after being duped into community service over a DUI that, if she’d had her wits about her, she should have fought or at least demanded a blood test. Rey knew this and the whole aggravating situation made her groan out loud in frustration before she even opened her eyes.

“Jesus!” she yelped when she finally rolled over and saw a young girl peering curiously at her. Rey scrambled to sit up. “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my room?”

“I’m Beatrice Dameron. I live here,” she replied. “You’re Dr. Rey Kenobi. You can call me Bea.”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to come into someone’s room uninvited?” As she got up Rey made a mental note to get a key from the old man whose guest house it was.

“Like I said, I live here.”

“Not in this room you don’t. So scat.”

Rey disappeared into the bathroom and cleaned herself up some. It was just before 8 a.m. and she had no idea when the clinic was supposed to open or when her ride would be coming to collect her. She figured she’d have time for a shower though, and if the hot ambulance driver had to wait then so be it. Rey was still feeling out of sorts when she returned to the bedroom for fresh clothes and her toiletries, and saw the kid was still there sitting on the end of her bed.

“Did you not hear me before or didn’t you understand?” Rey asked, annoyed. “How old are you, six?”

“I’m eight. What kind of doctor are you?”

“I’m going to be a surgeon. I’m not a pediatrician.”

“If you were maybe you’d be better at telling how old I am,” Bea replied, jumping off the bed and standing up as tall as she could, which wasn’t all that much. She was small and wiry for her age, with dark, wispy hair that framed her tan cheeks.

“Why aren’t you getting ready for school?” Rey crossed her arms and glared at her.

“It’s summer vacation, duh.”

“Well, Beatrice Dameron, I’m going to take a shower. And I’d really like it if you weren’t here when I’m done.”

“I’m just here to tell you breakfast is ready. Kes told me to.”

She remembered Kes was the name of the old man. “Well, go tell Kes I’m not hungry. I have to get ready for so-called work. Goodbye.”

As Rey stripped off yesterday’s clothes in the bathroom and waited an inordinately long time for the hot water to start in the shower, her stomach rumbled in protest of the lie. She hadn’t eaten since the burger at lunch, the ill-fated meal that caused her to be in this predicament.

After she was clean and feeling a little more human but no less hungry, she finished getting ready by scraping her still-wet hair into a messy half bun. She didn’t bother with makeup, just a little mascara and lip balm so she didn’t look like a complete ghost. On her way out the door she threw a pair of scrubs into her bag.

She was irritated to find the girl sitting on the front steps to the guest house, a panting labrador at her feet.

“Why are you still here?” Rey demanded.

“I thought you might’ve changed your mind about breakfast. Kes made fresh tortillas especially.”

“Is Kes your dad or something?”

“He’s my grandpa. That’s my Dad,” Bea said, pointing towards the main house where Poe had just emerged with a satchel slung over his shoulder.

Rey kicked herself for missing the resemblance between the two men the previous night, assuming Poe had been doing her a favor by bringing her here when apparently he was just coming home.

“Your breakfast’s getting cold, Bea,” he called out as he walked towards them.

“She won’t come, Poe.”

“Well then, leave Dr. Kenobi alone and go eat. We’re going to head into work.”

Bea got up with a plaintive sigh and paused to give him a cursory hug before running back to the house, the dog at her heels. Poe looked up at Rey on the porch and smiled.

“Good morning.”

“Morning,” she mumbled in reply.

“If you don’t want to eat are you ready to go?”

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

They left the old pickup and her trailer and got into Poe’s newer truck instead. Before he started it up he reached into the satchel for a foil-wrapped package and a thermos.

“Eggs with tomato and onion, black coffee. Hope that’s okay.”

Rey hesitated for a moment then accepted both gratefully. She quickly ripped the foil off the tortilla-wrapped eggs and took a bite.

“Thanks, I needed that.”

“You’re welcome up at the house, you know. Meals come included with the guest house.”

“You live there too?”

“Yep, with my Dad and my kid.” He drove down the driveway and beeped the horn a couple of times.

“How long have you lived here?”

“I was born here.”

“Really? Wow.” She wondered why someone would want to stay in the place they were born in, especially one as small and provincial as this one. Rey swallowed another mouthful of eggs before trying the strong black coffee. “What about her mother?”

Poe glanced at her. “She died when Bea was a baby.”

He didn’t say any more and she didn’t want to ask, knowing it was none of her business. Rey took another sip of coffee.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“Sure. I forgot to ask about a lock on the door though. My stuff’s inside.”

“It’s safe, no one will take anything.”

She didn’t mention that she also wanted a lock to keep his daughter out of her room, though she was tempted. Rey had dealt with enough children at the hospital – she certainly didn’t need one making herself at home in her personal space, however temporary it was.  

“We don’t have a big criminal element in Resistance, thankfully,” Poe went on. “You met Artie, right? We’d be in real trouble if there was.”

“Yeah.” She really didn’t want to talk about her run in with the sheriff and stayed quiet the rest of the journey while she ate her breakfast.

When they pulled up outside the clinic she noticed a few more trucks on the street than there had been previously. Rey soon saw why when they went inside and there were a dozen people crowded into the small waiting room.

“Folks hear a doctor’s on duty and they turn up,” Poe explained in passing, then said good morning to Nurse Phasma on his way to the back of the clinic.

Rey took a deep breath and fronted up to the reception counter. “What do we have this morning, nurse?”

“Patients,” she replied impassively and handed her a stack of old handwritten cards.

“These are Dr. Skywalker’s patient notes?” Rey was appalled, barely able to make out his scratchy writing.

Phasma didn’t bother answering and set a clipboard down in front of her. “Sign in here.”

Rey gave her a look and filled in her details including the time. Phasma immediately checked it over, looked at her own watch, then adjusted her start time so it was two minutes later.

“Mayor Organa asked me to personally log your clinic hours,” the nurse explained before sitting down at the desk to consult the appointment book in front of her.

“Thank you for that,” Rey replied sarcastically. “Give me five minutes then send the first one back.”

She stomped off to the office while cursing the woman under her breath. She changed into her dark blue scrubs and sorted out the basic equipment she’d likely need, while mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

Rey had spent enough time in the ER to be comfortable with just about anything the townsfolk could throw at her. She soon realized, however, that the kind of medicine she’d be practicing there was nothing more than she’d tackled in her first years at med school.

She made quick work of the cases presented to her. A few of the patients didn’t have anything wrong with them, they were just curious about the new doctor on duty. They asked plenty of personal questions with little sense of propriety, most of which Rey deflected. She gave a couple of kids injections, sewed up a gash from a neighborly dispute over a broken fence post, and dressed one leg ulcer. Riveting stuff it was not.

Once there were no more patients to see Rey went in search of more caffeine. She found Poe in the staff room with a laptop and textbooks spread out on the table.

“Are you going into surgery?” he asked, eying her outfit up and down.

She looked at her scrubs. “They’re comfortable and it’s easy to wash the puke and blood out.”

“Okay.”

She ignored whatever judgement he was making and helped herself to coffee from the machine, sniffing it dubiously before taking a sip.

“It’s fresh. I made it this morning,” he murmured, not looking up from his textbook.

Rey took a seat at the table and read the book’s title. “Are you studying medicine?”

“A physician assistant program, actually.”

“You want to be a PA? Why?”

Poe shrugged. “I get to do more around here. The money’s better.”

“Why not just go to medical school? You don’t look that old.”

He appeared amused when he glanced over at her. “Thanks. I’m 33, if that was your way of asking.”

“It wasn’t.” Rey feigned disinterest in the detail and flicked through one of the texts. “Seriously, though, why not go to medical school? It’s only a few more years.”

“I’d have to move away to go to med school. This way I can study, mostly online, and do my clinical rotations here or at the hospital.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Would moving away be so bad? I mean, I know you were born here but there’s a whole world out there.”

Poe sat back in his chair and regarded her properly. “I have an eight-year-old. I’m not uprooting her from her home and her family and her school.”

Rey had nothing to say to that, not having considered his status as a single father. At least, she assumed he was single. She supposed there could easily be a girlfriend or fiancée on the scene. Then she remembered she really didn’t care either way and downed the rest of her coffee.

“Well, good luck with it,” Rey said coolly. “I suppose if you want to do any clinical work while I’m here I can supervise.” Not officially, she added silently, but that didn’t seem to matter to the mayor or the judge or anyone else in Resistance.

“Thanks, doc.” Poe smiled at her until she looked away and changed the subject.

“Is it possible that Maz Kanata is really 104 years old? Because that’s what her chart says but it’s insane. I talked to her and she’s so with it, and surprisingly agile.”

“She sure is. Maz was here before the town was.”

“Wow.” Rey sighed and checked her watch. “So was that it? It’s barely 10.30 a.m. and there are no more patients.” She hated to think how long it was going to take to work off her 35 hours of community service at this rate.

“They’ll be here for afternoon clinic. And tomorrow we have house calls.”

“House calls?” she snorted. “Who the hell does house calls these days?”

“Welcome to Resistance,” he dead-panned.

Nurse Phasma suddenly appeared in the doorway. “If you’ve finished your coffee break, doctor, you have a patient waiting.”

“Thank God,” Rey muttered. “And thank _you,_ Nurse Phasma, it’s such a delight working with you.”

She heard Poe chuckle as she left but nothing from the autocrat. Rey was relieved to see Rose waiting for her in the examination room.

“How’s my car?” she asked instead of the more appropriate pleasantries.

“I’m making good progress,” Rose said reassuringly. “Still waiting on those parts though.”

Rey tamped down her disappointment and busied herself reading her chart. “How can I help you today?”

“I just thought it was a good opportunity for a check up, while you’re here with us.”

“Have you been going to all your prenatal appointments? It says here Dr. Skywalker referred you to an OB/GYN at St. Clara’s.”

“I’ve been to most of them,” Rose confessed, pulling awkwardly at the exam gown she was wearing. “It’s hard to get away sometimes. Plus he’s a bit of a creep. Do you think you could be my doctor?”

“Only for the next week. Maybe less if you can get my car fixed,” Rey said pointedly. She went ahead and began checking Rose over, starting with her blood pressure. “Have you been taking your prenatal vitamins?”

“Uh huh.”

“On the scales please. Any discomfort?”

“Nope. Well, sometimes when I sleep but I figure that’s normal.”

“This is your first baby?”

Rose smiled happily. “Yep, it finally happened. We were trying for a year.”

“Hop up on the bed for me,” Rey instructed her as she made a few notes. “You’re at 34 weeks?”

“Yep.” Rose made a small noise as Rey started applying firm pressure on her belly as she felt around.

“Everything feels normal. Have you had any third trimester ultrasounds?”

“No, should I?”

“Not unless the OB suggested it. Are your ankles always this swollen?”

“Um, I guess. Is that bad?”

“Not necessarily. You’re pressure’s a little high, and so is your weight. But nothing to be too concerned about. You can sit up now.”

When Rey eventually glanced up from the chart she saw Rose’s worried expression and tears beginning to well in her eyes. She closed the chart and took a breath. “You should probably try and rest a bit more if you can. Is there someone who can help out at your garage?”

Rey’s mind went immediately to her own car repairs and not wanting there to be a delay, but she refrained from mentioning it.

“Most days,” Rose replied quietly. “They’re not the best though.”

“Maybe try leaving the simple stuff to them.”

“Okay.” Rose still didn’t look too comforted but to Rey’s relief there were no actual tears. She hated it when patients got overly emotional.

“Do you know what you’re having?” she asked, remembering her training about showing an interest in their lives to put patients at ease.

“No, we want it to be a surprise,” Rose said, her face softening with a smile. “Bea’s convinced it’s a girl.”

Rey’s ears pricked up at the familiar name. “Bea Dameron? I met her.”

“She’s my niece. Paige, my sister, was her mom.”

“Oh. So Poe’s your…”

“Brother-in-law. I guess he’s always been like a big brother to me, so the in-law part is kind of redundant.”

“And Finn’s your husband,” Rey said, checking she had all the familial relationships right.

“Yep.”

Rey was vaguely curious to know more but she didn’t ask, returning to her notes. “You can get dressed now. Why don’t you make an appointment for the end of the week for another checkup.”

“Thanks, doc.”

Rey sighed. Rose had to be the fifteenth person to call her ‘doc’ that morning. She stopped bothering to mention that she preferred Dr. Kenobi, figuring it was a losing battle.

And it kept happening as she left the clinic to grab some lunch later. As she walked down the street total strangers greeted her, calling out from their cars as they drove past or while hanging bunting on the main street buildings ahead of the Fourth of July. She gave up responding after the first few, settling for a wave or a pained smile. Word clearly got around town quickly and once again she wondered how much detail about yesterday’s embarrassing events were public knowledge.

She kept walking past the diner which looked to be quite busy and ended up back at Finn’s bar. At least she knew the food was good.

“Hey there, Thoreau,” he called out when she entered.

“It’s Rey,” she replied with thinly veiled irritation that Finn failed to notice.

“Can I get you your usual, cheeseburger and a beer?”

She started to protest the drink order, and calling it her usual, then decided against it. She’d stick to one though. Finn chatted to her on and off while she waited, asking about her car, the guest house, and checking to see if Rose had been to the clinic yet.

“Hey buddy,” Finn said as he delivered Rey’s food and Poe came up behind her.

“Hey. Is this seat taken?” he asked Rey. She noted the rest of the bar was wide open but nodded.

“You hungry?” Finn checked.

“Nah, I already ate. I’ll take a beer though.”

“Aren’t you on duty?” Rey queried.

“Aren’t you?” he countered.

“Not right now.”

“Me neither. Plus it’s bad luck to drink alone.” When his beer was set down in front of him Poe offered her a toast. “Welcome to our town, doc.”

“It’s Rey,” she found herself saying again. “Why do you people all insist on calling me doc?”

“It’s what we call Doc Skywalker,” he said with a shrug.

“It’s kind of annoying.”

“Is it?” he asked, clearly amused that something so trivial could cause her offence.

Rey bit into her burger and ignored him.

“How’s Rosie doing?” he asked as he shelled and ate a few peanuts from the bowl in front of him.

“I can’t discuss patient details with you. Even if she is your sister-in-law.”

“She told you about that, huh?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re all related in this town,” she muttered, which caused him to laugh.

“We grew up together. Paige, Rose and me. Finn came along about five years ago.”

“How long were you married?” Rey wasn’t sure why she asked the question but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Paige and I were together for about a year and a half.”

She did a few calculations in her head based on Bea’s age. “So not high school sweethearts, then.”

“Let’s just say Bea was a surprise. I was home for Christmas and we got pregnant accidentally, so we got married.”

Rey pondered this for a while, surprised at how open he was with such personal details. She concluded it must be a small town thing, and figured it was okay to ask more.

“Home from where?”

Poe cracked a few more peanut shells. “Chicago.”

“Wait… Chicago?”

“I said I was born here, not that I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“What was in Chicago?”

“College. Then I decided to forego an illustrious career in business to concentrate on my music. Lead guitar and vocals.”

She scoffed as she sipped her beer. “You were in a band?”

“I was in _many_ bands. Each more ridiculously titled than the last.”

“Were you any good?”

“Oh no, we were completely ordinary. Hence the lack of fame and fortune.”

Rey laughed quietly as she went back to eating her burger.

“I came home and we had Bea so I left all that behind me to be the responsible father-type you see before you.”

Poe drank his beer and they sat in a companionable silence for a while.

“Can I ask what happened to Paige?” Rey asked cautiously.

He looked down. “Sure. It was a brain aneurysm. Bea was nine months old.”

“That’s tough.”

“Yeah,” he acknowledged but didn’t elaborate. “But I got my kid and she’s pretty great. So no complaints. I just wish she hadn’t missed out on having her mom all these years. Although, mine died when I was her age so I don’t know what’s worse – losing your mother before you knew her or when you can remember that loss like it was yesterday, you know?”

Rey had a firm opinion based on her own experience but she didn’t offer it. Poe might be comfortable talking to relative strangers about his life but she wasn’t. Rey clamped her mouth shut and pushed away the rest of her lunch.

“I um, should probably get back to the clinic. Hopefully some patients will show up.” She left some money next to her plate and bid Poe a mumbled farewell. She pretended she didn’t see the look of confusion on his face before she walked out.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

It turned out there were even fewer patients booked in for the afternoon clinic than the morning. By mid afternoon she asked Poe to take her back to the guest house so she could sort out her belongings. He didn’t say much as they drove the short distance and neither did Rey.

When they arrived at Kes’s place, Bea ran out of the house as soon as they pulled up.

“Poe, you gotta see what Kes caught today!”

“I thought you disapproved of his fishing now you’re a vegetarian,” he said as he got out of the truck.

“You will be too when you see how ugly this thing is. Hi, Dr. Kenobi.”

“Hello Bea.” Rey decided she liked the kid a little better since she called her by her proper title, and because she knew more about her.

“D’you wanna see Kes’s ugly fish?”

“Er, no thanks,” she replied with a swift glance at Poe. “I’ll leave you two to it.”

Rey started towards the guest house but stopped when he called out to her.

“Oh hey, doc? Finn asked me to remind you about the quiz at the bar tonight. Are you up for it?”

“Hard pass,” she said automatically as she turned around, and thought she spied a look of disappointment flash across his features.

“Suit yourself.” He let Bea drag him by the hand up the front steps while Rey watched for a moment.

“I mean, it’ll just be like a lame game show, right?” she asked.

“I don’t know, there are some pretty fierce competitors on the town council. The Mayor’s team are the reigning champions.”

“Is that old judge on the mayor’s team?” Rey checked, narrowing her eyes.

“Sure is.”

“In that case sign me up.”

Poe grinned. “Be ready to go by six.”

Rey didn’t smile until her back was to him and she walked to the guest house.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Finn’s bar was livelier at night than she’d seen it during the day. Rey didn’t think that was a good thing when she and Poe arrived and the ‘hey doc!’ chorus started and she had to shake the hands of at least three dozen people whose names she’d never remember. Poe abandoned her to help Finn set up for the quiz and she found herself sitting with the town council, led by Mayor Leia Organa who insisted on hearing all about her first day in the clinic.

She answered their questions politely but had nothing civil to say when the judge and his bailiff sidekick joined them, excusing herself to order another drink at the bar.

Thankfully Rose turned up and they were soon settled in at their own table with her erstwhile attorney, Kay Connix. Poe joined them bringing a pitcher of beer and buffalo wings. When the quiz got underway it was clear that the mayor’s team were used to an easy victory but, thanks to Rey, her team was giving them a run for their money. She knew she thrived on competition and sticking it to the judge was her ultimate goal, but Rey had to admit she was having fun. Rose was smart as a whip about all things mechanical, questions on which made frequent appearances thanks to her quizmaster husband. Poe and Kay held their own on popular culture and sport, leaving Rey to provide the answers to the science and literature questions. They debated topics that none of them knew much about, and she found she especially liked arguing with Poe because he gave as good as he got. As the night wore on they laughed more than Rey could remember doing for a long time.

In the end they won by five points, enough to have the half-drunk judge yelling about the competition being rigged, while the other teams cheered their success. Finn presented them with a bottle of decent red wine that the rest of her team insisted Rey take given she’d answered more questions correctly than any of them.

Thanks to a few more celebratory drinks that the locals bought for her, Rey was feeling no pain when Poe, as designated driver, suggested they call it a night. She bid the others goodbye, not caring anymore about what they called her, and piled into the truck clutching her bottle of wine. She was still smiling when Poe got into the driver’s seat beside her.

“See, it wasn’t so bad,” he said as the pickup started with a low roar.

“It was okay.”

“I don’t think Han’s going to forgive you for that spanking, especially after you damaged his precious car.”

Rey didn’t want to think about the accident or Judge Han Solo. She’d drunk enough to block out the bad memories and was happy to enjoy it while it lasted. She stared out the window and smiled at the glimpses of starry sky she could catch through the trees.

“You feeling alright there?” Poe asked when she hadn’t said anything for a few minutes.

“Is Kay your girlfriend?” she replied, apropos of nothing.

“No, why?”

“She looks like she wants to be. Didn’t you notice how she was staring at you?” She turned to face him, feeling her head spin in a good way. She couldn’t see him too well in the dim interior to tell if he was blushing, but he certainly seemed uncomfortable.

“No she wasn’t. I’ve known Kay for years. It’s not like that.”

“Okay, Captain Oblivious.”

He stayed silent for a while. “You think she was staring at me?”

Rey didn’t reply and went back to looking at the stars but the trees were too thick and all she saw was inky darkness.

“I feel great,” she said, answering his earlier question. “Only 29 clinic hours to go and I can get out of here. Goodbye Resistance, hello LA.”

“Have you ever been to LA?” he asked derisively.

She sighed in contentment, not to be put off. “No. I did my residency interview in New York. But I think I’m going to like it there.”

“I hope you do, doc.”

Rey’s head lolled against the headrest as she turned to him again. “I hate it when you call me that,” she said through the smile that had settled on her lips.

“Sorry,” Poe replied, and clearly wasn’t.


	3. Long Day’s Journey Into Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Poe spend the day working together and getting to know each other better, and then some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter ended up being a bit longer than intended, oops. 
> 
> If you’d rather stick a T version, stop reading about the time it starts to rain. *wink*

 

Rey woke up after her night of socializing feeling fuzzy and decided to go for a run to clear her head. It was promising to be a hot and humid day as she made her way to the lake’s edge to stretch. She was enjoying the peace and quiet when she was interrupted.

“Are you trying to do tai chi or yoga?” Bea asked disdainfully as she walked up behind her.

“Neither,” said Rey, after recovering from the fright of having the child suddenly appear again. “I’m going running.”

“Can I come?”

“You won’t be able to keep up.”

“I’m pretty fast.”

“My legs are longer.”

Bea shook her head dolefully. “You shouldn’t run on your own, Dr. Kenobi. What if you tripped and broke your ankle? What if you ran into a bear and her cubs and she attacked you? We have bears here, you know.”

“What good would you be in either of those situations?” Rey shot back.

“I could run for help. Kes has a shotgun to scare the bears away and Poe could put a splint on your ankle.”

“I think I’m quite capable of looking after myself, thanks all the same.” She stretched out one shoulder then the other. “Why do you call them that? Kes and Poe.”

“That’s their names,” Bea said with a shrug.

“Aren’t you supposed to call your father dad or something?”

“First names are more efficient. I’m not a baby.”

“Fair point,” Rey conceded, deciding Bea wasn’t as silly as most of the children she was used to dealing with. “In that case, you better call me Rey.”

“Okay.” Bea grinned.

“You still can’t come running with me. But if I’m not back in an hour you can send a search party,” Rey said and started jogging along the path.

She ran for a good 45 minutes, sticking to a track along the water’s edge and keeping a paranoid watch for bears thanks to Bea’s morbid suggestion. She felt better and more energized for the day ahead that would involve house calls. She could barely imagine what she’d encounter once they left the relative normalcy of town. And that _really_ was relative, she thought. The one upside was spending the day away from Nurse Phasma at the clinic, and instead driving with Poe in the ambulance. Rey supposed it could be worse.

She got back to the guest house looking forward to a long shower only to find Bea, Poe and the dog waiting for her on the front steps.

“See? She’s fine,” Poe said to his daughter. “I told you she would be.”

“Bear threats are real,” Bea replied haughtily. “Jimmy Horton practically got evasorated by one.”

“Eviscerated, and no he didn’t.” Poe turned his attention to Rey who was still trying to catch her breath. “Sorry. We just had to check you were back safely before we’d eat breakfast.”

“That’s okay.” Rey rested her hands on her hips as she addressed Bea. “I made sure I kept a careful eye out.”

“You won’t see a momma bear coming if she thinks you’re a threat to her cubs,” Bea griped. “She’d go right for your jugular vein. Come on, Porgy.” She ran off to the house, the labrador at her heels.

“That’s a cheerful thought,” Rey muttered.

Poe got to his feet a little sheepishly. “I am sorry, doc. She’s going through a bit of a death phase. Our other dog Bess died not long ago.”

“Uh huh.” Rey was aware that she was sweating in her shorts and sports bra and that she probably looked a fright as Poe averted his eyes.

“We should probably get going soon, we have a lot of ground to cover today,” he said.

“I’ll just take a shower. Give me 15.”

True to her word, and as a result of her internship experience where breaks were rare and short, she really was ready to leave that quickly. She was waiting by the pickup when Poe came out of the house with a large cooler bag and another breakfast wrap and coffee for her.

“No scrubs today?” he asked, noting her cropped pants and shirt.

“I’m hoping there won’t be any puke or blood.”

“No guarantees where we’re going.”

She made a face as she climbed into the truck. “Should I be concerned?”

“Nah, you look like you can take care of yourself,” Poe said as he surveyed her from the driver’s seat.

Rey made short work of her breakfast as he gave her a brief rundown of who they’d be visiting, and Nurse Phasma had all the patient notes ready to go when they arrived at the clinic to switch to the town’s ambulance. Calling it that was generous, in Rey’s estimation. It was more of a van and a good 25 years old, but Poe assured her it ran like a charm thanks to Rose. He pointed out the custom black and orange paint job on the side panels but she was more interested in the on-board equipment which seemed adequate. Rey packed up her bag with everything she guessed she might need and they were soon on their way.

“Is there a radio at least?” she asked as they headed out of town. “Or do you prefer to sing to keep yourself entertained on the open road?”

“Ha, I don’t sing in public anymore. Although I do a mean ‘Where You Are’ from the Moana soundtrack if you’re interested. Fortunately Bea isn’t much of a Disney princess so I’ve been spared most of those musical horrors.” Poe fiddled with a dial and settled on a country music channel that made Rey want to groan. “This one won’t cut out after ten minutes.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

Ten minutes was about all she lasted before she switched off the radio completely, preferring to enjoy her surroundings in the quiet. The trees were thick and green on either side of the road they were on, the sky was blue and the sun was shining – all in all a pretty nice day if she had to spend it outside, she thought.

“So what’s the deal with Phasma?” Rey asked when the silence went on a bit too long. “Is it just me she hates or everyone?”

“She doesn’t hate you.”

“Well, I’d hate to see how she acts when she does.”

Poe glanced over at her but otherwise kept his eyes on the road. “She’s just gotten used to looking after everything since Doc Skywalker decided to take off.”

“And where is he exactly?”

“Not that far. He prefers being on his own outside town.”

“That I understand.”

“We still contact him in emergencies, but that doesn’t happen all that often in Resistance.”

Rey didn’t doubt it, especially if the house calls were anything to go by. As the morning progressed she treated a handful of patients and drank so much sweetened lemonade and ice tea that she grew concerned about her blood sugar levels. Every time they stopped and were offered a refreshment Poe accepted, much to her growing consternation. He introduced her to the families and chatted to them while she treated bites and scrapes and a variety of other minor ailments. There didn’t seem to be any good reason why they couldn’t come into the clinic in town, and when she asked Poe he shrugged and said Doc Skywalker always did house calls for those that wanted them.

As she packed up her bag at lunchtime they received an invitation to stay and eat with one of the families. To Rey’s relief Poe declined and said they had to get back on the road. Making small talk with the locals really was the last thing she felt like doing and she appreciated the fact that he seemed to know that. Instead he took her to a quiet spot by a creek and retrieved the cooler bag from the back of the ambulance. He even had a blanket for them to sit on.

“Lunch courtesy of Kes,” he said. “He wanted to make sure you keep your strength up.”

“Thank God. As long as it’s not sweet I’m happy.”

They settled into a picnic meal of quiche and salad that made her feel instantly better.

“It’s really pretty out here,” she admitted once her hunger was satisfied. “Although I have no idea why people would want to live in isolation like this. You’d think they’d be happy for any excuse to go into town.”

Poe gave her a look. “Go ahead and say it.”

“Say what?”

“Whatever yokel comment you’ve been dying to make all morning.”

“I haven’t,” she said defensively. Rey was quietly proud of every eye roll and sarcastic uttering she’d managed to suppress.

“Come on, the big city doc has nothing to say? Not even about the moonshine?”

“You mean my _half-gallon jar_ of moonshine from a grateful patient? What on earth would I have to say about that?”

Poe chuckled, just as he had when she’d been presented with the gift in lieu of payment for the house call. She hadn’t known what to say and the best she could do was offer them a tight-lipped smile in thanks.

“Actually, smart ass,” Rey said, “I was thinking all morning about how much it reminded me of where I’m from.”

“Huh? Baltimore?”

“Nope. I grew up in Niima, population 960.”

Poe gaped at her. “Where the hell is Niima?”

“Exactly.”

“Well. I was not expecting that. I figured you were pure city folk for sure. Is your family still there?”

“No. And I haven’t been back since I was 17. I don’t plan to, either. I’ve left all of that behind me.”

“All of what?” he prompted gently.

“Mostly a big pile of nothing,” she said, reluctant to say more but for some reason she didn’t feel the need to clam up like she usually did. “My great-grandfather was a surgeon but everyone else…let’s just say the Kenobi name isn’t synonymous with success where I’m from.”

“Until you.”

Rey appreciated the sentiment but she knew the truth, and that she hadn’t stayed in touch with anyone in Niima for them to know what she’d achieved. “That remains to be seen, given where I find myself right now.”

Poe ignored the dig about Resistance. “Is that why you want to be a surgeon? Because of your grandfather?”

“Maybe. It’s challenging. You have to be the best. And it’ll mean I’ll be able to pay off my student loans before I’m 50. ”

Poe stayed silent for a minute, picking at his food before speaking again. “Do you like it?”

“Surgery?”

“Medicine.” He held her gaze steadily. “No offense but you don’t seem to enjoy it much.”

Rey felt herself flush though she wasn’t sure why, except that she didn’t respond well to any sort of criticism. “Maybe I don’t enjoy making house calls in the middle of nowhere...”

“You know what I mean. It’s the same in the clinic. If you don’t like treating patients, why be a doctor?”

“I like treating patients,” she corrected him, even if it wasn’t always the truth. It wasn’t the first time the unsettling thought had occurred to her but it sounded completely different coming from someone else. If Rey was feeling defensive before it was about to kick into overdrive. “Medicine is my career. It’s taken me nine years of intense work and study to get here.”

“That doesn’t mean you love it,” he pushed back.

“Well, it’s not like I can start over and do something else.”

“Why not?”

Rey laughed. “Because I live in the real world and that would be insane. Do you love everything about what you do?”

“Not everything,” he admitted. “But I like helping people. I like being able to raise my kid in a safe place and have enough time to spend with her while she still needs me. My job allows me to do that.”

“What if you didn’t have a kid? Would you be in Resistance driving an ambulance or still in Chicago in a band?”

Poe narrowed his eyes as he stared at her, a smile playing on his lips. “Okay, fine. Maybe I would still be playing music. My last band, we were planning a tour through Europe before I quit. And, yes, maybe a small part of me wishes I could’ve seen where my music took me. I certainly didn’t count on being a father at 25 and a single one a year later. But my situation’s completely different to yours – I do have a kid. If you wanted to you could still change careers and do something that you have a passion for. You have the time and you’re smart, and clearly determined.”

Rey shook her head. “This is ridiculous.”

“Come on, there has to be something,” he goaded her. “If you could do anything, what would it be? If money wasn’t an issue.”

“Nothing better than a realistic hypothetical,” she scoffed and he threw a piece of carrot at her. “Okay, okay. If I could do whatever I wanted and money was no object…” She fell silent for a while, chewing her bottom lip. “Fine, I’d probably be an artist. I used to love to draw.”

“Really?”

“Yes, is that so surprising?”

“Honestly? Yes.” He grinned at her. “I never would have picked you as an artist.”

“Why not?”

“I have no idea.” Poe shook his head, his gaze unwavering. “Just when I think I’ve got you pegged, doc… You’re full of surprises.”

Rey found herself smiling – it was not the sort of thing anyone had said to her before. If anything she felt she was too set in her ways and boring. Her life followed a predictable routine of work and study and there was little time or energy for anything else. She’d take being surprising as a compliment, even if it was just all talk.

She knew she could just as easily quit medicine as she could fly to the moon. Sometimes a hypothetical was just that.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

After lunch they visited a family of seven and discovered the youngest son had an untreated cut on his leg that would require stitches. The boy, however, was having none of it no matter what Rey or his parents said.

“You know stitches mean a cool scar, Billy,” said Poe. He rolled up the right sleeve of his button down and held up his elbow. “Maybe not as cool as this one.”

Billy poked his head out from under the house where he’d been hiding.

“That’s not even that big.”

“No? I’ve got one on my foot that’s pretty big and crooked like a fish hook. Wanna see?”

When Poe’s tales of his past injuries finally coaxed the boy into the open Rey tried to get a look at his leg which was covered in a dirty bandage. He wasn’t so easily tricked and only agreed to have it looked at when Poe finally offered him five bucks cash.

She gloved up and disinfected the boy’s calf and it was clear a few stitches would be needed.

“Do you want to do it?” she asked Poe.

His eyes lit up. “Yeah? Would you mind?”

She shook her head.

“What about you, Billy? How about I stitch you up? Dr. Kenobi here will check I’ve done a good job.” Poe looked over the boy’s head to his parents from whom he was really seeking permission and they agreed too.

Rey took care of administering the local anesthetic so Poe could assess the wound and begin the sutures. She watched him closely but he did it all correctly, albeit slower that she would have. He did manage to complete the task while keeping the patient entertained and his parents at ease, which Rey wasn’t sure she could do. Nor did she have much interest in trying. She realized that maybe that was the point he’d been trying to make over lunch.

She let Poe perform a few more minor tasks on their remaining house calls which were thankfully brief. As they returned to town in the late afternoon Rey was relieved that it was over but it had been a successful day. And not just in terms of patient outcomes, she thought, as she surveyed her swag. In addition to the mason jar of moonshine, she had been gifted a variety of home-baked goods, preserves, and even a colorful hand-knitted scarf – an unusual offering for the summertime and for someone moving to Southern California. Still, Rey wasn’t completely ungrateful. Thanks to all the travel it also meant a decent reduction in her remaining community service hours, which was enough to put her into a relatively cheery mood when they arrived back.

She figured that was why she’d readily accepted Kes’s invitation to have dinner with the family. And why she wasn’t completely dreading it as she freshened up in the guest house before she was due there. She even dug out a dress from her suitcase that wasn’t too crushed, and fixed her hair in a loose top bun. The last thing she did was grab the bottle of wine from the quiz night to take as a thank-you gift.

“I hope you like pizza, doc,” Kes said as soon as he opened the door.

“Absolutely. And it will go with this,” she replied, handing over the bottle of wine.

“Ooh, thank you. Finn and Rose are an apology, I’m afraid. She’s worn out.”

“Is she feeling okay?” Rey asked Poe who walked into the living room.

“Yeah, she says she’s fine. Finn has the night off so I suspect she’d rather just stay at home with him. As great as your pizzas are, Kes.”

He made an indifferent noise and motioned Rey to come into the kitchen but Bea ran down the stairs with other ideas.

“You’re here! Do you want to come see my room, Rey?”

“She just got here, Bea,” her father said. “Why don’t you leave her alone for a few minutes.”

“I don’t mind,” Rey said, more to be contrary than any great desire to see the girl’s bedroom. She made a face at Poe when he looked incredulous. “Let’s go, Bea.”

“Rey and I are going upstairs,” she informed him primly, then led the way.

The walls were pale blue and covered in fluffy white clouds, but there were few other juvenile trappings in Bea’s bedroom. Instead of countless stuffed toys and other girly things that Rey was expecting, there were piles of library books and a large Blue Planet poster above her desk. Bea showed her the science project she was working on over the summer – “just for fun, not for a grade” – then went to her overstuffed bookshelf and pulled out an album.

“Do you want to look at my pictures?”

“Sure.”

Bea adjusted her bed pillows so they could sit side by side against the headboard, after first insisting that Rey take off her shoes because of germs. She opened up the well worn album that started with a picture of a swaddled newborn in a crib.

“Poe took that on the day I was born. And that’s my Mom,” she said when she turned to the next photograph of a young woman with the baby in her arms.

Rey smiled and was glad she could put a face to the name. “She’s very pretty. You look like her.”

“I’m not as pretty as she was,” Bea stated emotionlessly and moved on.

There were a few more photos of Paige – a couple where she was pregnant and one at a school where she was a teacher. The next batch were of Bea and her mother together, which she flipped through slowly without comment.

There was only one of Poe and Paige together with Bea at what looked like her christening. His hair was longer than it was now, and there were no crinkles around his eyes as he smiled. For some reason Rey found herself trying to read his expression, based on what little she knew of the circumstances of their brief marriage. But they both looked happy, not trapped in a relationship because of an unplanned pregnancy.

As the photos progressed of Bea when she was a little older, Poe began to appear more in them. Birthday cakes, playing with golden labrador puppies, in a boat on the lake, curled up asleep in a hammock together. It was easy to see how much he loved her, as did Kes and Rose and Finn who were also in the pictures.

When they got to the end Bea pulled out one last loose photo – a black and white image of a beautiful curly-haired woman.

“This is my grandma, the one who died a long time ago. Poe gave me this picture of her, and he kept her special ring for me too.”

Rey gazed at the photograph of Poe’s mother, the resemblance unmistakable, before handing it back to Bea. When she closed the album Rey noticed the decorative cover that looked handmade, saying ‘Baby Bea’.

“It’s a nice album, Bea,” she offered.

“Do you have one in your trailer that we could look at?”

“No. I don’t have anything like this.”

“Why not?”

“I guess my parents forgot to make one for me.” Rey gave her a small smile. “I wasn’t as lucky as you.”

“Are they dead?”

She nodded.

“Do you remember them?”

Rey took a breath. “Yeah I do.”

“Hey you two,” Poe said quietly from the doorway. “Dinner’s ready.”

Rey wasn’t sure how long he’d been there and found herself blushing slightly. Bea didn’t notice and climbed over her unceremoniously so she could put her album away. Poe gave Rey a questioning look as she passed him by the door but she said nothing, letting Bea do all the talking as she began explaining how she and Kes had made the pizza dough from scratch that afternoon.

The girl had nothing but disdain for the chicken and pepperoni versions that Kes laid on the table, and began eating her smaller vegetarian pizza while listing the benefits of a meat-free diet.

“Meat is a good source of protein,” Rey suggested. “Especially when you’re still growing.”

“So is tempeh,” Bea countered, then started on the environmental issues relating to meat production.

Poe let her go for five minutes before steering the conversation to the upcoming Fourth of July parade in town.

“Porgy and I will be in it,” she told Rey. “Every year there’s a pet parade and all the kids get to walk with their animals. Are you going to be in the parade, Rey?”

She swallowed a mouthful of food. “I don’t have a pet.”

“You could be on one of the floats. Couldn’t she, Poe?”

“I think she might prefer to watch from the sidelines. Right?” He turned to Rey with an amused expression.

“Absolutely,” she replied, and took a long sip of red wine.

“You could always dress up in a colonial outfit like some of the other adults,” Bea suggested. “Mayor Leia does.”

Rey almost choked on her drink while Poe chuckled. “I need to work in the clinic,” she replied.

“Clinic’s closed on the Fourth,” Kes supplied. “You should join in, doc, be part of the fun.”

She looked at Poe for help and he finally stepped in. “You know what, I forgot. We need someone to look after the first aid station. Maybe you could help with that, doc?”

“My pleasure,” she said sweetly. Rey focused on eating the rest of her dinner while the others discussed the large cookout that would follow the parade, and the fireworks that Chewie organized every year.

When they were done she offered to help clean up but Kes wouldn’t hear of it, so she was left to Bea’s mercy who insisted they play Scrabble while the men did the work. They were halfway through when Poe brought them ice-cream and noticed the score pad that showed Rey was winning by 200 points.

“She’s not taking it easy on you, huh Bea?” he said as he took a seat beside his daughter.

Bea ignored him as she concentrated on her turn and Rey realized that maybe she was supposed to let the girl win. Then she decided against it – Bea was old enough and smart enough to see through any ruse like that. When they started another game with Poe and Kes included, Rey played just as hard and beat them too.

“Can we play again?” Bea asked hopefully but Poe insisted it was time for bed. She rolled her eyes dramatically and bid each of them good night with a hug, Rey included.

“I’ll come up and read with you soon. Brush your teeth,” Poe said to her departing back.

“What about you, doc?” Kes asked.

“It’s a bit early for me so I think I’ll take a walk – I ate way too much. It was delicious, Kes, thank you.”

“Go with her, Poe. She doesn’t know the area well.”

“I just meant along the lake edge, I won’t get lost,” she insisted. “And there are no bears at night, are there?”

Kes waved his hand dismissively. “You two go together. Get some fresh air before the rain. It’s due tonight.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want any company,” Poe said pointedly, glaring at Kes. A silent back and forth argument seemed to be happening between them until Rey spoke up.

“I don’t mind, I’m really fine on my own.”

“It’s settled,” Kes said with a clap of his hands. “I’ll go read with Bea, you two go for a walk. Have fun!”

“I’m really sorry,” Poe said as soon as they were outside and clear of the house. “That was Kes trying to be subtle.”

Rey grinned in the darkness, the cloud cover blocking most of the light from the full moon.

“He thinks I need to be set up with any woman that’s vaguely my age,” he went on. “Even though I’ve told him repeatedly I can take care of myself.”

She gave a snort of laughter.

“I mean I can find dates for myself,” Poe clarified. “You know what I mean.”

“Why aren’t you seeing anyone?” she asked. “You’re not repulsive looking.”

“Gee thanks. I do just fine. Maybe not around here, it’s a small town. But I get to spend enough time at the hospital and you know what they’re like.”

Rey certainly did. Without the opportunity for casual sex there or at the bar she’d frequent with her colleagues after a long shift, she would’ve spent the past few years living like a nun.

They made their way to the water’s edge and followed the path past the guest house.

“So why don’t you sing in public anymore?” Rey wanted to know.

“Huh?”

“You said this morning that you don’t sing now. Why give it up completely?”

Poe dug his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know. It just feels like a different life. Plus Bea would probably be mortified. I should save it for her teenage years and threaten her with it if she becomes rebellious. Do you still draw?”

“No. I don’t have the time. I’d be terrible at it now.”

“Aren’t we a couple of boring old farts.”

“Did you just say farts to me?” she said, pretending to be offended.

“I’m sure you’ve heard worse, doc.”

They walked along without speaking for a while, a faint smile still on Rey’s lips, when she felt the first drop. Then another.

“Huh, Kes was right,” Poe muttered and held out his hands as the fat raindrops started to fall. “We should probably head back.”

They turned to do that when the rain suddenly shifted from a few drops to a steady downpour in a matter of seconds. Rey screeched and they made a run for it back down the path, but it only got heavier. By the time they reached the closest cover – the porch of the guest house – they were completely soaked.

“Nice weather you’ve got here,” she gasped, the water pooling at her feet. She went inside for a couple of towels and tossed him one so they could get dry.

Poe stripped off his sodden plaid shirt. His gray t-shirt underneath hadn’t fared much better, nor had his shoes which he toed off.

“You may as well take a seat and wait it out. I’m going to get changed,” she said.

Rey returned to her room and started unbuttoning the wet dress that was clinging to her. Even her underwear hadn’t been spared so she stripped them off too, opting for an old denim skirt and oversized t-shirt that she had to hand. As she pulled her hair out of its bun she glanced at herself in the mirror and wondered who she thought she was trying to impress. With a derisive shake of her head she grabbed a couple of glasses from the cupboard and the jar of moonshine.

“If you’re stuck here until this lets up, maybe you’d like a nightcap?”

He laughed when he saw her offering. “You’re not actually suggesting we drink that?”

“Why not? This was a very generous gift from the Ackbars.” She sat down beside him and gave him the glasses so she could open the mason jar. She sniffed at it dubiously, but when it didn’t make her eyes water she figured it was safe and poured them both a generous shot. Poe was looking at her as if she wouldn’t dare drink it.

“I will if you will,” she said and they clinked their glasses together and threw it back. They both choked and coughed for a while but ended up laughing.

“It’s not so bad,” Poe squeaked out, his voice sounding higher.

Rey poured them another glass. “It gets better, I’m sure.”

“I’m not convinced,” he spluttered after they’d drunk the second shot. “People don’t really go blind from moonshine, do they doc?”

“Maybe if the ethanol content was high enough. But I’d like to think we’d be able to tell.”

The third glass was a little fuller and sipped a little slower, and sure enough it was easier to drink. Rey puffed her cheeks out as she exhaled and sat back against the wooden bench they were on. She looked out into the black night where the rain was still pouring, her eyes drifting closed. “It smells like my childhood.”

“Not the ‘shine, I hope,” Poe joked.

Rey opened her eyes again, pretending she hadn’t heard him. “The rain. It was pretty rare in Niima but when it did, I would run around in it like an idiot. I loved it.”

After a few minutes she looked over to Poe who was watching her. He cleared his throat and reached for the jar to refill their glasses.

“Sorry about your parents,” he said gently.

“Why?”

“I heard you tell Bea that they died.”

Rey quirked an eyebrow. “That’s not something to be sorry about, believe me.”

He opened his mouth to say more but she turned back to the rain and swallowed another large mouthful.

“Rain is a happy memory,” she murmured.

“Bea loves it too. Always has.” He sighed. “I hope she has lots of happy childhood memories like that when she’s older.”

“I’m sure she will thanks to you.” Rey smiled to herself, remembering the photographs of the two of them, before looking back at Poe who quickly downed the rest of his drink.

“She likes you,” he said after a short silence. “Bea.”

“God knows why. Kids usually hate me.”

“It’s because you don’t talk to her like she’s a kid.”

She shrugged her shoulders slightly and smiled again.

“I like you too,” Poe continued and the expression faded from her lips. He gave an awkward cough and looked away. “And I have officially had too much to drink.”

“You haven’t had that much,” she replied quietly.

“Enough that I should shut my mouth and call it a night.”

“Why?”

He looked uneasy as he set his empty glass aside and met her gaze again. “Because you’re leaving in a few days.”

Rey licked her bottom lip. “I would’ve thought that would be a bonus. No attachments. No consequences.”

Poe looked uncertain until she leaned over him to drop her empty glass into his, their faces close. She took a breath and kissed him before she lost her nerve, her head spinning in a distractedly pleasant way. When the kiss wasn’t terrible she did it again, letting his tongue gain entry and explore her mouth. A minute later her hand was fisted in his t-shirt as he made a reluctant noise and pulled his lips from her.

“We shouldn’t do this,” he panted, his hot breath on her cheek as she remained pressed against him.

“Why not?” she murmured. “It’s still raining. You can’t go anywhere.”

“We’re drunk.”

“I am not that drunk.” In fact Rey was sure she was just the right amount of drunk to have sex with someone she didn’t know very well. And in reality she knew him better than plenty of others she’d done this with.

“I’ll prove it to you,” she said.

Rey kissed him again and hummed when his hand slipped under the back of her shirt. His mouth moved to her neck and made her squirm as she started. “Z. Y. X... W...”

“What are you doing?” he said but didn’t stop working his way to the other side of her neck.

“I’m reciting the alphabet backwards. I couldn’t do that if I were drunk.”

Poe chuckled against her skin and then found her lips again.

“V. U... T,” she moaned as their faces shifted with each new angle. “S... R. Q. P...”

Rey pulled back and smiled at the heady look of desire in his eyes, and the pout of his mouth as she kept him at arm’s length for a moment.

“O. N. M...”

“Are you really gonna do the whole thing?”

She didn’t answer the question. Instead she stood up and tugged on his t-shirt to lead him inside. The room wasn’t exactly tidy and she hadn’t bothered to make the bed that morning but it was of little consequence when they resumed making out and Poe had better access to her body, both his hands on her ass. She lifted his shirt and he stopped kissing her long enough to remove it. She ran her hand over his tan chest. He wasn’t super muscly but nor was he soft. He was warm and smooth and she pressed her nose against his neck and inhaled deeply.

“L... K,” she whispered, pressing kisses along his collarbone and then running the tip of her tongue up the column of his throat. “J...”

“...is for Jesus fucking Christ, I want you,” he breathed and kissed her hungrily, until Rey started laughing and broke away.

“I... H...” She pulled off her own t-shirt without ceremony and watched Poe’s eyes darken when he saw she wasn’t wearing a bra, before he reached for her again. His attention was on her neck which gave her the opportunity to continue while she unbuckled his belt and slipped her hand into his jeans. “G. F...”

She stroked him a few times over his trunks before pushing them down and out of the way. Not to be left behind, Poe was tugging at her skirt so he could reach her underwear only to find them gone.

“Please tell me you just took them off before, and you didn’t come to dinner that way.”

“E,” she replied sternly and took a step back. She pointed to the bed and waited until he sat down on the end, kicking off his jeans properly when he did.

Rey straightened her skirt until she was covered again and started digging around in her suitcase. When she found the box she was looking for she returned to stand before him, she unbuttoned her skirt and let it drop to her feet. Her lips quirked at Poe’s sharp intake of breath.

“D,” she said and handed him a condom.

“Don’t you mean C?” He grinned then quickly smothered it when she gave him a withering look. “Sorry.”

Rey ran the fingers of both hands through his thick curly hair, reveling in the feel of it before she tightened her grip until he hissed and she moved to straddle his lap. “C. B…”

Poe groaned as she ground against him and they kissed again, long and deep. She reached between them to grasp his cock and found it already a little slick. His hands moved from cupping her ass to pressing one then a second finger inside her as his thumb found her clit. Rey forgot her countdown while he distracted her and she made other less decipherable noises as he sucked at the most sensitive spot on her neck.

She’d already come once when he ripped the foil packet open with his teeth so he could slip the condom on.

“Aren’t you going to say it?” he prompted while she was still trying to string a coherent thought together.

Rey finally placed her hands on his shoulders and shifted up before she sank down onto him on ‘A’.

 


	4. Vertigo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey’s medical skills are needed in an emergency.

Rey woke up alone except for her hangover. She made a mental note never to mix red wine and moonshine, should the opportunity arise in LA. She gulped down some water and hoped it would help before she had to think about facing the day.

It wasn’t so much the day she was worried about, than having to deal with Poe. He’d barely stayed for ten minutes after they’d had sex, a fact she’d been hugely grateful for at the time. She supposed he’d been worried about Kes finding out, or worse – Bea, if he stayed overnight. Rey didn’t regret sleeping with him because it had been a few months for her and he certainly knew what he was doing, but she did have concerns about how it might impact her remaining time in Resistance. She didn’t want things to be awkward between them, especially if, God forbid, he developed actual feelings for her.

Rey’s worst fears seemed to come true when she emerged from the guest house ready for work and she saw Poe walking towards her. He stopped a few feet from the porch steps and ran his hand through his hair nervously.

“Morning,” she said warily.

“Hi. Did you sleep okay?”

“Fine. You?”

“Not really, I was up all night.” He toed the ground. “There’s so much to think about. So much to organize.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The wedding. I mean, now that we’ve slept together, it’s the only thing to do…”

Poe couldn’t keep it up and started chuckling while she crossed her arms and pursed her lips to smother her own smile.

“Asshole.”

He was still grinning when he dug into his pocket and tossed her a bottle of aspirin. “If your head feels anything like mine you might want these.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll skip breakfast this morning.”

“Probably a good idea for both of us. I’ll just go say goodbye to Bea and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Alright.”

He started to walk away then turned back. “We’re okay, right?”

“Of course.”

“Okay.”

Rey shook her head as he made his way back to the house and felt better even without taking the aspirin. She popped a couple in her mouth anyway, to be on the safe side.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Chewie was waiting in the clinic when Rey and Poe arrived, sitting up straight as an arrow and staring at Nurse Phasma behind the counter who had the same rigid posture as she glared back at him.

“Don’t mind us,” said Poe cheekily as he went to make coffee in the staff room.

Phasma broke Chewie’s gaze only to slap the clipboard down in front of Rey so she could sign in, followed by his chart.

“Thank you so much,” Rey said with false cheer. “Chewie, come on back.”

As she tried to get a patient history from him, catching only one or two words in ten, Rey finally surmised that he had an infected ingrown toenail that was causing him considerable pain. She got right to work removing it, and even with the pain relief he howled when she cut it out.

“You’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “Make sure you don’t stand for too long over the next couple of days, and keep your foot elevated when you’re sitting. Here’s a prescription for antibiotics and instructions for keeping it clean. Come see me in two days and I’ll check on your progress.”

Chewie gave her a mournful growl of thanks and, clutching his shoe, hobbled out of the exam room.

Rey poured herself a large mug of coffee next, and hung around in the staff room until her next patient arrived. Poe was nowhere to be found and she hoped he wasn’t avoiding her, only to curse her paranoia when he came in later after restocking the ambulance post-house calls the previous day.

“How’s your head?” he asked, passing on the coffee for more water.

“It’s fine. With any luck it’ll be a light day again today,” Rey said, doubting there was anything but light clinic days in Resistance.

“Well, the Mayor has extended you an invitation to the parade set-up party tonight, so be sure to pace yourself.”

“What the hell is a parade set-up party?”

“It’s a party. While we set up for the parade,” Poe explained patiently. “We do it every Third of July.”

“Gee, can’t wait.” She swallowed the sarcasm along with her coffee, wondering if it counted towards her community service if the mayor invited her.

Poe took a seat at the table with her. “So listen, doc…”

Rey felt her stomach clench and it had nothing to do with the remnants of her hangover. She needed to have her say first. “We don’t have to talk about this. We’re both adults. It was just sex. Let’s not make a big deal of it, okay?”

Poe blinked at her.

“I mean, it happened. We had a good time. I know I did…twice. But like you said, I’m leaving in a few days and the last thing either of us needs is for this to be awkward. So let’s leave it at that.”

“Okay,” he sat back in his chair. “I was just going to ask you about the first aid station for the parade tomorrow, but if you’d rather not talk about last night that’s fine with me.”

Rey’s ears felt hot as she kept her expression blank. “The first aid station, yes. Of course. I’ll take care of it.”

“It’ll just be straight forward stuff – scraped knees, maybe an animal bite or two if some of the more exotic pets get riled up. Someone had a raccoon last year that did not appreciate being put on a lead.”

“Uh huh. Fine.”

“Alright. Well I’m going to head out to pick up some more gear, but I’ll catch you later at the bar?”

“What’s at the bar?”

“Leia’s get together. She’ll be expecting you.”

Rey smiled wanly. “Great.”

Poe bit back a grin and left her there feeling like an idiot and wondering why she allowed herself to feel flustered about their encounter when he clearly didn’t. Before she let herself read too much into it, Rey got back to work.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

The rest of the day passed far too slowly for her liking, with fewer patients than before. At one point Phasma caught her napping in the uncomfortable office chair and made a deduction in her timesheet. Aside from an incident with one of the parade volunteers and a nail gun, she had very little to keep her occupied until the nurse closed the clinic doors at 5 p.m. and kicked her out. With no Poe around to drive her to the guesthouse Rey had no choice but to wander along the main street where more people had converged. Every street light was festooned with flags and streamers, and long tables were being set up along the parade route for the cookout that she was told would follow.

“Rey!”

She looked up to find Bea running towards her. “Hey.”

“Are you staying for the party tonight? They’re cooking barbecue which is disgusting but Finn got me soy sausages especially.”

“Mmm, well you enjoy those. I’ll probably stick to a burger if we’re going to the bar.”

Bea skipped around her, more excited than Rey had seen her before, as they made their way to Finn’s place where Poe and Kes were helping out.

“Dr. Kenobi, there you are,” said Leia, taking her smoothly by the arm. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

Bea looked disappointed but soon ran off with a couple of the other kids who were hanging around. Leia led her over to a table in the bar where a few members of the town council were. Rey recognized them from the quiz night.

“You remember Garel Statura and Larma D’Acy. And this is Amilyn Holdo.”

“Hello,” Rey said with a fake smile. What she really wanted was a stiff drink. They were all having homemade lemonade and she couldn’t bear the thought.

“Join us for a moment,” Leia insisted and pushed her into a chair.

“How do you like our little town, doc?” Amilyn asked.

“Just fine.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Leia. “We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback about you. Of course I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you. I thought to myself, Dr. Rey Kenobi just _looks_ like she belongs in Resistance.”

Rey didn’t know if she should be flattered or offended, and settled on the latter. But she kept her mouth shut as the council members murmured and nodded in agreement with the mayor.

“And so, my dear, it is my hope that we can convince you to stay with us permanently.”

She was glad she hadn’t been offered a drink because she may have spat it out over the table.

“Now, we know you still have to complete your residency, but what you may not realize is that St. Clara’s has a program specializing in family practice, and it’s practically on our doorstep!” Leia leaned towards her conspiratorially. “I just happen to be on the board of directors so I can pull a few strings to get you in.”

Rey tried to smile but it was more of a pained expression. “Uh huh.”

“We figure that even with your residency you can work in the clinic some of the time,” Holdo added.

“Luke still has privileges at the hospital, so he could even supervise part of your program which would make it easier for you to work here,” Leia said jubilantly.

Garel cleared his throat, and Rey vaguely remembered he was the town treasurer. “We’re prepared to make you an offer. How does $58,000 a year sound?”

Rey looked at each of them in turn. “It sounds like not much more than what I’ll make as a first year surgical resident.”

“I told you,” Leia said through gritted teeth and eyeing Garel. She turned her attention back to Rey. “$65,000. And when you’re through with your residency, the entire practice will be yours. I’ve already talked it over with Luke.”

Rey let out a dismayed laugh. “You don’t understand... I mean, thank you for the offer... I guess. But I have no intention of staying here. I’m moving to LA in a few days. I’m going to be a surgeon.”

They looked among themselves as if this came as a great surprise.

“Why would you want to move all the way to LA when you can stay right here?” Larma asked.

“You’ve even made friends already,” Leia said. “You had such a good time here the other night. And Resistance will grow on you, you just have to give it time. In my experience the place just sneaks up on you that way.”

“As delightful as that sounds I won’t be here long enough to find out. Excuse me.” Rey’s chair scraped as she got to her feet.

“Alright, you think about it. Get back to us when you’re ready,” Leia called out as she walked away to the bar.

Rey wanted to order a double vodka rocks but decided to stick with club soda. She was still bristling from the nerve of the town council and the ridiculous notion that she’d ever choose to stay there, when Rose beckoned her to one of the outside tables. Rey sat with her for a while and quizzed her on the status of her car repairs.

“The parts I needed arrived today,” Rose said. “It’ll be all ready before you leave.”

“Good, because I have to get back on the road by the weekend.”

Poe and Kay Connix sat down as she was finishing and Rey barely glanced at him.

“When does the new job start?” he asked.

“The following week. But I need to get settled into my new place. Orientation, that sort of thing.”

Rose chatted for a while about her memories of California from a trip to Disneyland she and Paige had taken as children, then Finn arrived with a platter of burgers for the table and a special plate of vegetarian hot dogs for Bea. Everyone else gathered in groups to eat except for the kids who were too busy playing.

“At least sit down for a few minutes, Bea,” Poe called out after she grabbed a hot dog and had already run off again.

“I guess she’s pretty excited about tomorrow,” Rose said as she rubbed a hand over her belly.

Poe shook his head. “She’s playing with other kids and not worrying about climate change. I’m not complaining.”

They talked while they ate, Finn keeping them entertained with some story from his first days in town. Rey even laughed along with them at one point, and then was annoyed when she caught Leia watching her with a knowing smile. She was determined not to let the town nor any of its inhabitants sneak up on her. The mayor could believe whatever she liked – Rey had a plan for her life and it did not involve Resistance.

They were finishing up when one of the younger boys appeared at Poe’s elbow.

“Bea’s making a funny noise.”

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“She’s coughing a lot.”

Poe frowned as he got up and followed the boy around the side of the bar where the children were gathered. Without a word Rey went too.

They found her on her knees, a few of the kids standing helplessly nearby, trying to cough something up.

“Bea? What is it, baby?” Poe was next to her quickly as she spluttered, her dark eyes wide and frightened. “Did you swallow something? Is it caught?”

She nodded frantically as Rey knelt down as well.

“Keep trying to cough it up, Bea,” Rey ordered calmly. She made a few more attempts while Poe grew increasingly agitated. “It’s better if she can do it herself. She’s still getting air.”

When it was clear that Bea’s coughing wasn’t working, Rey rested her hand against the girl’s chest.

“Alright, Bea, I’m going to help you. Lean forward for me.” Rey used the heel of her other hand to give her a few sharp blows in between her shoulder blades.

By this stage a larger crowd had gathered to watch and Bea just kept making wheezing noises.

“Don’t hurt her!” someone cried out when she tried the maneuver again but Rey ignored them.

“It’s not budging,” she muttered.

“What do we do?” demanded Poe. “Help her!”

Rey checked Bea’s lips which were beginning to take on a bluish tinge and her attempts to take a breath were weaker. “Bring her to the clinic,” she ordered. “Carry her on an angle face down.”

Poe picked her up and did as she instructed. The street was cut off to cars but it wasn’t far to the clinic. He set off running and Rey, as fit as she was, had to push hard to keep up. The light was fading as they sped down the street, and when they reached the clinic’s front door it was locked. Poe bashed his fist on the door and yelled for Phasma while Rey checked Bea again who had grown listless in his arms but was still conscious. He was ready to kick the door in after a few seconds but fortunately the nurse appeared to open up. Poe pushed past her and took Bea straight into the examination room.

“Have you got an intubation kit?” Rey asked the nurse.

Phasma found it quickly and set it on the tray for her while Rey positioned herself behind Bea’s head.

“I need you to hold still for me now, Bea, and open your mouth as wide as you can,” Rey said reassuringly before glancing up at Poe. “You’ll need to hold her down for this part.”

Poe nodded mutely and grasped Bea’s shoulders, resting his arms over her.

Rey tilted her head back and inserted the scope. “You’re doing really well, Bea.” She glanced at Phasma. “I can see it. Magill forceps.”

She took them from Phasma who had the instrument ready. Rey held her breath when she dug into Bea’s throat, concentrating on what she was doing and not Poe’s desperate gaze that was inches from her. Within a few seconds she withdrew a piece of soy sausage and held it up triumphantly. Bea took in a huge gasping breath and sat up as soon as Poe remembered to let her go, then vomited into a basin that Phasma thrust under her chin at the right moment. She immediately burst into tears and held onto Poe who assured her she was okay.

Rey shared a smile with Phasma as she dropped the offending morsel onto the tray. It was only then that Rey realized the nurse was in a dressing gown and that she must live above the clinic. She hadn’t bothered to find that out before.

“Thank you,” Rey said, acknowledging her swift response to the emergency situation. She clearly knew her stuff.

“It’s my job,” Phasma replied brusquely, and removed the basin from the room to clean up.

Bea had recovered enough from her fright to let Rey examine her, complaining that her back hurt and Poe was holding her too tightly.

“Your chest and throat are going to be a bit sore for a while, Bea,” she said. “That hot dog was wedged in your trachea which leads to your lungs. That’s why it was so hard for you to breathe. I’m going to listen to your lungs to make sure you’re okay now, alright?”

“Okay,” Bea replied mournfully and allowed Poe to lift her shirt off gently.

Rey kept her sitting up while she listened to her chest from the front and back.

“All clear,” she said to Poe who hadn’t yet lost the look of panic in his eyes.  

She performed a few more checks in case of internal injuries from her intervention, but aside from feeling sore and sorry for herself, Bea appeared to be fine. Rey still wanted to monitor her in case that changed.

“I’m going to see if I can find you something comfortable to wear while we hang out here for a while. How does that sound?”

“What about the parade?” Bea turned her disappointed eyes to Poe.

“Don’t worry about that now. Just rest,” he murmured.

“I’ll be right back,” said Rey as Bea started to argue with him.

She saw the small group in the waiting room – Kes, Rose and Finn – looking for an update after Phasma had obviously delivered the good news.

“She’s fine,” Rey told them. “More worried about missing the parade tomorrow than anything that just happened.”

“Thank you, doc,” Kes said with a sigh of relief. “Can we take her home?”

“Not just now, I’d like to keep her here for a few hours. Poe and I will stay with her.”

“I never should have made those damn hot dogs,” Finn muttered.

“She was probably running as she was eating or she tripped over,” Rey assured him. “It happens.”

“I told you, babe,” Rose said as she rubbed his arm.

“Tell her I’ll go look after Porgy and make sure he’s ready for the parade tomorrow,” Kes said. “If you think she’ll still be up for it, of course.”

“I’m sure she will be.”

Rey said goodbye to them all and Phasma helped her find a small exam gown that Bea could wear. The nurse had changed back into her uniform but Rey told her she could remain off duty, and she’d call for her if she was needed. Phasma nodded and gave her a cold pack that she’d prepared, and once again Rey was impressed with her foresight.

Poe helped Bea clean up in the bathroom and got her changed into the gown, and when he carried her back into the exam room Rey had some cold water waiting for her to sip slowly.

“Now, Bea, I’m going to need your help.” Rey said, draping a stethoscope around her own neck. “I need you to tell me if gets harder for you to swallow, or it feels different. I also want you to let me know if you feel sick or your stomach hurts.”

“Okay.”

“Lie back here for me and roll onto your side.” She kept Bea propped semi-upright on a few pillows. She nestled the cold pack against the tender spot on her back and covered her with a blanket. “I’m going to write up some notes over here. I know you’re probably tired but try and stay awake for a while.”

Bea nodded slightly while Poe smoothed her hair back from her forehead. “I’m going to stay right here with you,” he said.

Rey noticed he was calmer now and got to work on the chart, writing down Bea’s vitals and the time first.

“You’re being very brave,” murmured Poe. “I know you got a big fright.”

“I don’t like those hot dogs,” Bea complained.

“Me neither. We won’t have them again.”

She shifted uncomfortably on the bed which Rey noticed but didn’t want to give her pain relief yet in case it masked something that needed attention.

“How about I tell you a story,” Poe suggested in order to keep her mind off it.

Bea nodded and he launched into a tale about Kes as a boy when he found a huge beehive in a log and decided to harvest the honey. It ended with him falling into a mud hole when he thought he was being chased by the swarm.

She laughed weakly then grimaced. Poe adjusted the cold pack and sat down next to her again.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Tell me the story of when I was born.”

He sighed indulgently. “You’ve heard that hundreds of times.”

“Tell it again.”

“Okay. Let’s see… You were born on the coldest day in Resistance for 50 years. There was a big snowstorm the night before and the snow was so deep in the morning that the plows were having trouble clearing the roads. Your Mom and I were fast asleep when you decided it was time to meet us, so we tried to pack the car to go to the hospital but we couldn’t even get down the driveway. So I called Doc Skywalker and he said not to worry, he’d think of something. Your Mom was being very brave but she was scared, and I was scared because you were pretty impatient to be born. Back then I didn’t know anything about delivering babies so I wasn’t sure what to do. Then we heard Kes shouting that he could see something on the lake.”

“It was Doc Skywalker,” Bea said.

“That’s right. Doc Skywalker decided the fastest way to get here was to ice skate across the lake from his house. So he strapped his medical bag and his snowshoes onto his back and he skated all the way. When he got to the house he checked on your Mom and told her it was time to push and less than five minutes later you were born. You were crying so loudly, then Doc put you onto your Mommy’s chest and you got quiet. You opened your eyes just the tiniest bit and looked up at her. And she said, ‘Hello Baby Bea’. After a little while Doc wrapped you up tightly and I got to hold you. You had dark hair already like your Mom and me, and Kes said you looked like your Abuela Shara. I thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life, and I loved you from that moment on.”

“What about your bee?” She nudged at his left shirt sleeve until he rolled it further up his forearm.

“When you were a week old I went out of town to pick up some baby things we ordered, and I went to a tattoo place and asked them to put a bee on my arm right here, along with the date you were born.”

“So you can never forget my birthday.”

Poe smiled lovingly at her. “I will never forget your birthday, BB.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. From the other side of the room where Rey had been watching, she smiled too. She was reluctant to intrude but it was time to check Bea’s chest again. Poe excused himself for a moment to give her some space while she did.

“Still sounding good. You are going to be just fine, Bea,” Rey told her and settled her back onto the bed, leaving the cold pack off for a while. “I think you have earned yourself a nap if you’re sleepy.”

“Where’s Poe?”

“He’s probably calling Kes to tell him how well you’re doing. I’ll stay here with you.”

Bea seemed satisfied with this and closed her eyes. Rey didn’t know any stories to tell her but she hummed an old lullaby she remembered and brushed the hair away from Bea’s forehead until her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.

When he hadn’t returned to the exam room ten minutes later and Bea hadn’t stirred, Rey went in search of him. She didn’t have to go far. He was on the floor of the staff room, slumped against the cabinets, and squeezing his hands into fists as he tried to stop them from shaking. Rey slid down to sit next to him.

“It’s just the adrenaline,” she said, one hand covering his while the other curled around his wrist to surreptitiously check his pulse. “Bea’s going to be fine. She’s asleep now.”

Poe’s eyes were puffy and red as he let out a shuddering breath. “I never should have said that stuff about what I’d be doing if I didn’t have her. Or that she was an accident. I’ve never been so scared in all my life when her lips started turning blue.” He turned to look at Rey properly. “You saved her.”

“I just did what I’m trained to do.”

He shook his head. “It was you. I don’t know how to repay you for that. Thank you.”

Rey didn’t tell him that what she’d done was routine, that while her airway was compromised Bea was still getting some air so the blockage wasn’t complete.

“You’re welcome,” she said instead.

Poe sniffed and wiped his hand over his face. “I'm going to sit with her in case she wakes up.”

He stood up stiffly and held his hand out to her as she got to her feet. Rey kept hold of it for a moment.

“We can take her home in a few hours. Let her sleep in her own bed.”

He nodded gratefully but she still didn’t let go of his hand. Poe looked confused for a few seconds until she wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug. Rey felt a little awkward until he returned the embrace, holding on tightly as he exhaled a long breath.

When he pulled away there was a faint smile on his lips. “Thanks doc.”

She watched him leave the staff room and let out a sigh of her own.

 


	5. Some Kind of Wonderful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey meets another Resistance resident on the 4th of July. But as her connection with Poe develops, independence is not the mood of the day.

Rey felt a tugging on her sleeve as she jolted awake and sat up in the chair in Bea’s bedroom. A medical chart and papers fell from her lap, clattering to the floor which caused Poe to stir in the bed.

Bea was standing at her side. “Good morning! Happy Fourth!”

Rey wiped at the drool in the corner of her mouth and grimaced as her back protested the further movement when she straightened up. It had been well past midnight when they brought Bea home, once Rey was convinced she’d experienced no adverse effects from her near-choking except for the bruising to her back. Still, she hadn’t felt comfortable leaving her patient so, after she insisted that Poe slept next to Bea on her bed, Rey kept a vigil from the chair. She supposed she’d only nodded off for a few hours but it was enough to have her feeling sore as well.

Poe sat up groggily while she checked Bea’s back. Once she finished listening to her chest she smiled at the girl.

“Does that mean I can be in the parade?” she asked.

“Well, you have medical clearance. I think the final decision’s up to your Dad.”

Bea looked at him pleadingly while he ran a hand through his messy curls.

“I suppose so…” he said, the reluctance evident in his tone.

“Yes!”

“If you promise to take it easy, BB.”

“Don’t call me that, I’m not a baby,” Bea said and ran out the door. “Porgy!”

Poe sighed. “I guess she is back to normal. She never lets me call her that anymore.”

“I don’t blame her,” Rey replied as she tried to stretch out the kink in her neck.

He winced as he looked at her. “You didn’t really sleep there, did you? I told you to take the bed.”

“I’m fine. I’ve slept in worse.”

She bent to gather the papers and Poe got up to help. One of the sheets he picked up caused him to stop and stare. Rey’s cheeks colored when she saw the simple sketch she’d done of Poe and Bea when they were asleep.

“It was just something I did to stay awake,” she explained.

“Can I keep it?” he asked, still staring at the paper.

Rey smiled faintly. “Sure.”

“Thanks.”

They locked eyes for a moment until she looked away. She wasn’t sure if it was seeing him so vulnerable after Bea’s accident or the fact that his tired, rumpled appearance was so endearing, but she felt an overwhelming desire to hold him again. Or maybe she wanted him to hold her, which was more dangerous.

“What time does this thing start today?” she asked instead, all business. “I should go get ready.”

“Not for a few hours if you want to get some sleep. Or would you like breakfast?”

“Sleep sounds good. But thanks.” She went to go, clutching the metal clipboard and chart to her chest. “Just soft food for Bea, and tell her to go slowly.”

His steady gaze was still on her. “Thank you, Rey.”

She realized it was the first time he’d ever addressed her by her name, and tried not to dwell on how much she liked it.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

When it came time for the Resistance Fourth of July parade Poe drove them all into town, the dog included who sat between Bea and Kes in the backseat of the pickup. They parked by the clinic so Rey could collect some supplies for the first aid station and walked along the main street towards the festivities. Bea took her by the hand to show her where she would be situated for the day, which happened to be next to where the town council members had gathered. Leia was giving instructions to the parade organizers, dressed in a full colonial outfit and an elaborate hairstyle.

“There you are, Miss Beatrice,” she said when she turned and saw their arrival. “I hear you’re feeling much better.”

“Yes, ma’am, thanks to Rey.”

“I am very glad to hear that. Aren’t we lucky to have Rey here with us?”

The mayor gave her another pointed look as her eyes shifted to Bea’s hand in hers, causing Rey to pull away and focus on her first aid set up. She really didn’t need Leia making any more assumptions about her fitting in.

She managed to keep to herself most of the afternoon as the parade was carried out, led by the high school’s marching band. There seemed to be almost as many people in the parade as watching it, a small town quirk she remembered from her youth. From the volunteer firefighter group that Poe and Finn were part of, and the military veterans that Kes led and Phasma was there as well, to the long animal parade that most of the children were involved in, Rey sat at her station and waved to all the familiar faces she’d met during the past few days. Porgy’s collar and lead had been decorated with red and blue tinsel as Bea walked proudly with him. She beamed and waved enthusiastically at Rey as she passed.

As soon as the parade was over the focus turned to food, and an abundance of bowls and platters appeared while groups formed naturally around the tables. Poe made Bea sit with them while she ate this time, which she did begrudgingly, before running off to play as soon as she was done. As the afternoon wore on Rey assumed they’d pack up and go home but the town had other plans when a band started setting up on the stage that had been mounted, more food was served and drinks flowed freely.

She hung out with Finn and Rose for a while as other people, some of whom she knew, stopped by to chat, until Poe returned from whatever task he’d been wrangled into helping with and brought a fresh pitcher of beer.

“Not for me, thanks,” Rey said, sticking to her decision to not drink any alcohol. Technically she was still on duty in case there were any injuries, and she focused on the fact that she was successfully knocking off more hours from her community service.

As soon as it was dark Chewie’s fireworks were set off and they gathered to watch. Rey was waiting for the worst to happen with the homemade display but fortunately there were no burns or other mishaps, and as soon as it was over the band started up.

“That’s it for me, I need to go home and put my feet up,” Rose said as she draped her arm around Finn’s waist. “Doctor’s orders.”

Rey nodded sagely and hoped that Poe would be ready to call it a night too, but Bea disappeared again and Kes was dancing up a storm along with dozens of others. She decided to try some of the barbecue that Finn kept reminding her about and wandered over to one of the tables. While she sampled some brisket a scruffy looking hobo took a seat beside her.

“So you’re the town doctor,” he said without preamble.

“Temporarily,” she replied automatically, and wondered what ailment he’d reveal to her instead of making an appointment at the clinic. She’d already been asked to diagnose aches and pains and at least three moles by other townsfolk that afternoon.

“How do you like the brisket?” he asked.

“It’s good.”

“I made it.”

“Oh.” Rey didn’t want to be judgmental but after taking in his stringy gray hair and beard, and his generally unkempt appearance, she decided against eating the rest. “Do you live in town, Mr…?”

“Skywalker. You can call me Luke. And no.”

Rey’s eyes widened. “You’re Dr. Skywalker? I’m Rey Kenobi. I’ve heard so much about you.”

She wiped her hand on her pants and offered it to him. He looked down at it, seemingly amused, before shaking her hand.

“Likewise,” he said gruffly. “My sister won’t shut up about you.”

“Yes. Um, unfortunately Mayor Organa is convinced I should stay here and take over from you.”

“Hmpf. I bet she does. I heard you haven’t even completed your residency.”

The response rankled but she bit back an unprofessional retort. “That’s true. That’s why I’m going to LA. I’m going to be a surgeon.”

“Good for you. A chip off the old block, then.”

“Sorry?”

“Your great-grandfather. He was a gifted surgeon.”

Rey frowned. “How did you know that?”

“Ben Kenobi was one of my first teachers. I became a doctor because of him.”

“You’re kidding! I never got the chance to meet him.” Rey sat back in her chair, too surprised to say more. Stories of the senior Dr. Kenobi had been the reason she’d chosen to pursue medicine, a shining beacon of success in her lineage that her grandparents and parents never came close to emulating. Just the idea of becoming a doctor like him and getting out of the tiny, poor community in which she was raised had fueled her ambitions since she could remember.

“I never understood why he chose to practice in small town hospitals like he did,” Luke said. “I wanted the big city positions and the glory and the money when I was starting out. I ended up back here, of course, but even then I never fully appreciated the place until years later.”

“I don’t suppose I get it either,” she admitted.

“No, you’re too young and stupid.”

Rey’s nostrils flared in anger but he held up a hand in a placating gesture.

“I was exactly like you at your age. It took me a long time to know better. There’s something special about knowing a town and its people, and being their doctor. Not the endless conveyor belt of patients whose faces and names you’ll never remember. When you practice in a place like this you deliver babies, watch them grow into adulthood and eventually have babies of their own. You even see some of them to the grave. You help them through it all – the good and the bad. I don’t know what’s more rewarding than that.”

Rey could think of a few things but she didn’t like to contradict him.

“And of course I always liked the space. I’m not a big fan of crowds – out here I get to enjoy the peace and quiet. I get to meditate and keep my own company. I get to make brisket.”

He ate some more and she did too. It really was good.

“I can’t get over it,” she said after a while. “What are the chances I’d meet someone in the middle of nowhere who knew my great-grandfather?”

“Maybe it was fate. Or a mystical force delivering you to your destiny.”

Rey gulped and her stomach dropped. “Do you really think so?”

“No.” Luke’s voice was full of disdain. “There’s no mystical force or fate. It’s just a dumb coincidence. You really are young and stupid if you believe otherwise.”

“And you’re a rude, old son of a bitch.” She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“That I am,” he said and started chuckling. “I’ll see you around, Dr. Kenobi. Or, maybe not.”

Luke got up and walked away, leaving her to stew over the insult which soon gave way to thinking about the other things he’d told her. She wasn’t sure how long she remained there alone until Poe joined her.

“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Honestly? Probably not.” She let out a long sigh.

“Maybe we should dance instead,” he suggested and held out his hand to her.

“I don’t do that,” Rey said, slightly panicked. “I mean, I don’t know how.”

“You’re never too old to learn.” Poe grinned at her. “What, are you chicken?”

She knew he was goading her for the fun of it but she slapped her hand in his anyway and got to her feet. “Fine. Let’s get it over with.”

He was still smiling as he led her a few feet away where they were safely apart from the other dancers to minimize her embarrassment. Though the band was playing some God awful country song that she hated, she joined in like a good sport and let Poe spin her around a few times. He even got a small laugh out of her when he made a serious face to mirror her own.

Less than a minute later the song ended and they clapped along with everyone else until a slower number started up. Rey glanced at Poe figuring the torture was over but he held out his hand again. She stepped closer and moved a little awkwardly in his arms until he adjusted his knee to slot in between hers and they slowed things down to not much more than a shuffle.

She had only been this close to him twice before but it felt familiar and safe. Rey liked that they were almost the same height. She liked the easy way their bodies moved together even fully clothed, which got her thinking about when they weren’t just a couple of nights earlier. She’d tried not to replay the memory of being with him too often but when he was this close and she could smell his unique scent, it was hard not to think about how warm and smooth his skin was and how good he felt pressed even closer.

Rey had no idea if he was experiencing similar thoughts when his thumb brushed underneath the back of her top to touch her skin, but she guessed he might be. It was so small a gesture that she wasn’t prepared for the physical reaction it provoked in her, and it only increased when his cheek moved against hers so the tip of his nose brushed her ear. Desire pooled in her belly in a way that was embarrassing, but she didn’t pull away like she knew she should.

She looked around to see if they were drawing attention to themselves but no one paid them any mind. Poe didn’t say anything and nor did she, even as his whole hand slipped under her shirt and his fingers splayed across her lower back.

In that moment she didn’t care that they were in public, or that someone might catch them. Rey didn’t even spare a thought to what Leia’s ecstatic reaction would be if she saw them together. She shifted to look into his eyes, holding his gaze and willing him to do something, anything, to break whatever ridiculous spell she found herself under and she got into real trouble. Make a joke, she willed him. Comment on the parade or the food, or just say it was time to round up the others and leave so she could pull herself together.

When Poe just stared at her, openly and unapologetically, she gave in and closed the remaining distance between them, pressing her lips gently to his. It turned out to be little more than a peck but his eyes reflected her own hunger when she looked at him again. He remained silent and she decided to be grateful. If he suggested they sneak off somewhere – Phasma’s here, she thought quickly, the clinic is empty – she wouldn’t have refused. He could’ve taken her behind one of the buildings and pressed her up against the wall and she would have gone willingly. Artie probably would have charged them with public indecency and she’d be stuck with more community service.

Fortunately Bea ran up to them and tugged on Poe’s shirt tail.

“Kes said he’s ready to go home, and so is Porgy.”

Rey’s arms dropped to her sides as she felt the warmth that had settled on her cheeks, and noticed that Poe was similarly flushed.

“I’ll get my bag,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as disappointed as she felt.

“Okay,” he murmured.

He glanced back at her regretfully after following Bea to go in search of his father.

“Shit,” Rey muttered under her breath, and wondered how she’d been so careless to let a complication like Poe Dameron into her life.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Bea fell asleep against Kes’s shoulder in the back seat during the drive home. Poe picked her up to carry her inside the main house, throwing Rey a wordless entreaty while Kes bid her goodnight. They’d barely shared a glance since they parted but there was no denying they wanted the same thing. She returned to the guest house thrumming with anticipation mixed with a tinge of something else. Fear, she guessed. As she checked her appearance in the mirror she asked herself out loud what she thought she was doing. He’s just a guy in a small town that you’re temporarily stuck in. You have LA and your residency waiting. It’s just a flirtation, it’s just sex.

Rey spied the half empty jar of moonshine on the shelf but didn’t drink any regardless of how much she wanted to. She ignored the memory of the vodka bottle that she had buried in her trailer somewhere. Instead she checked herself over, smelled her armpits, and brushed her teeth. She imagined Poe doing the same thing which was why he hadn’t turned up yet. The minutes ticked by as she waited.

Just when she convinced herself she’d imagined everything and he wasn’t coming, there was a soft knock at the door. Rey’s heart was hammering in her chest when she opened it and found Poe looking at her in a way that made her insides churn in a decidedly non-medical way.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi.”

She noticed distractedly that he had shaved but didn’t say anything else as she pulled him into the room, her mouth quickly on his. There were a few too many teeth involved due to her eagerness and Poe’s hands moved to cup her cheeks and take things more slowly. He kissed her thoroughly and at an agonizing pace when she would have been more than happy for him to bend her over the edge of the bed and fuck her right then.

Instead he ran his hands over her still-clothed body and started kissing her neck. She guided him over to the bed, biting back her impatience, and he at least shucked out of his shirt and shoes before they lay down.

Once they were on the bed, their legs entangled, Poe’s movements grew even less hurried. She fought it at first, her hands roaming up high under his t-shirt to touch as much of his warm skin as she could while urging him to rest more of his weight on her. But eventually she surrendered to his languid pace and let him lavish attention on the uncovered parts of her body before he moved down to kiss her stomach. He inched his way up her torso under her top but stopped before he reached her breasts. He found her mouth again and kissed her deeply and she sighed into it, feeling safe again and comfortable in a way that she was unused to. Rey didn’t even realize what was happening until he shifted to her neck once more and suddenly froze in her arms.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his worried gaze on her.

It was only then she felt the hot tears that were leaking down either side of her face. She nodded mutely, trying to make them stop but she couldn’t.

Poe pulled away further, resting on his arm so he could look at her properly.

“Is this not what you want?”

“No. No, I do. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said as even more tears fell. “It’s just… I can’t remember the last time I was with anyone like this.”

“Like what?”

Rey felt her resolve crumble as emotion overwhelmed her. “Completely sober.”

He frowned, then after a moment he thumbed the side of her face. For some reason his gentle touch was her undoing. She covered her face with both hands.

“Shit. I’m so embarrassed. Please don’t look at me.”

Poe moved only so far as to not be half on top of her, and when she wiped her cheeks and dared to meet his eyes again he was still staring at her. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking which didn’t help the rising feeling of anxiety within her.

“I guess I’m more like my parents than I thought. That’s a scary fucking thought,” she tried to say lightly and failed.

He propped himself up on one elbow and his other hand found hers. Again the simple gesture made her want to start crying anew, and she mentally chastised herself for being weak. But suddenly it felt like the floodgates had opened.

“They were chronic alcoholics. I guess I forgot to mention that part. And drug addicts for a good chunk of my childhood, which meant I ended up in foster care on and off until they cleaned up each time and I had to go back to them. When I was finally old enough to leave I swore to myself I would never be like them, but here I am.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s literally why I’m here in Resistance. The community service? It’s because of a DUI.”

She realized from his look of surprise that it was one piece of information that hadn’t spread through the small town.

“I mean it wasn’t like I was blind drunk, but I was on the limit. I guess Leia decided it was better to make me provide free medical services than to have me charged.”

“Oh.”

Rey flinched at the utterance and wished she could take it all back. She hadn’t wanted to tell him any of it, but she’d gone ahead and blurted out her darkest, well-kept secret. She never spoke of her parents to anyone, ever.

“When we were together the other night…” he started.

“Drinking makes it easier for me to let someone in, however briefly,” she finished. She tried again to make light of it. “And, um, if that isn’t a sexy admission I don’t know what is. Seriously though, you should go. Please don’t bother trying to come up with an excuse. It’s fine.”

“Do you want me to go?”

Her subconscious yelled no and before she could overrule it and get rid of him so she could wallow in misery, she shook her head slightly.

“Come here,” he said, lying down and opening his arm up to her so she could nestle into the crook of his neck, after hesitating for only a moment. His other arm wrapped protectively around her.

He did nothing more than hold her for a while. She didn’t try and defuse the situation by sliding her hand into his pants or tonguing his neck, which is exactly what she would have done with a few drinks on board. Instead she took a few shaky breaths and tried to silence her inner demons, and the deep-seated worry that he would flat out reject her, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Still, she waited for him to leave, accepting that inevitability after her admission. When he finally did move she remained curled up on the bed, full of regret. She didn’t expect him to only go as far as the bathroom and return with a glass of water for her. Rey pulled herself into a sitting position, knees against her chest, and accepted it gratefully.

“I promise I don’t drink all the time,” she felt compelled to say when he sat down in front of her.

“You don’t owe me an explanation.”

“I just mean, with Bea yesterday… I would never compromise my patients’ safety.”

“I know,” he replied softly even though he had no cause to be sure.

“After working in the hospital on 36-hour shifts, getting drunk and hooking up became a release. More of a crutch, really. I saw a therapist about it once and she said I have intimacy issues and struggle to maintain meaningful connections with people. I never went back.”

Rey cracked a smile when he chuckled, then started laughing too which broke the tension.  

“You’re not the only one screwed up about relationships,” he said. “I’ve been avoiding any sort of connection beyond casual sex going on, oh, about eight years now.”

“Because of Bea?”

“I told myself that. But lately I’ve realized it’s more about protecting myself. The truth is I loved Paige but I wasn’t in love with her. We probably wouldn’t have made it long term, and it would have been my fault. I think she knew I couldn’t stick it out, and that deep down I blamed her for what happened. And she died knowing that... Which is why I focus everything on Bea. I only hope if I raise her well enough it might make up for all the shitty things I did before.”

“You have raised her well,” Rey said, feeling a wave of affection for the girl.

He smiled sadly and looked down. “She’s had strong female influences in her life – Rose and Leia especially – but it’s not the same as having a mother. Part of me worries that I denied her that. Everyone assumes I’m alone because I never got over Paige the same way Kes never got over my mother’s death. But I was just too scared and too selfish. Still am.”

“Probably wasn’t the smartest thing we did, sleeping together,” she offered after a short silence. “We’d been drinking…”

“And you’re leaving soon, so no chance of something serious developing.”

Rey didn’t bring up whatever mutual need had brought them back together that night, when neither excuse could be blamed. She would still be gone in a couple of days, but that hadn’t stopped him from touching her the way he had while they danced. She hadn’t been drinking, but hadn’t needed it to kiss him first, or want to be with him again more than she had wanted anything for the longest time. Rey knew she wasn’t quite ready for that level of honesty and apparently neither was Poe because he didn’t mention it.

She set her glass aside. “I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted.”

Poe let out a relieved breath. “Shattered. Should I go?”

Rey bit her lip before shaking her head. “Unless you want to go?”

“Shove over,” he said and she wriggled to the other side of the bed before lying on her side, her back to him.

Poe got up to switch the light off before he joined her again, curling up against her. When his arm rested on her waist she pulled him closer and held it against her chest. She felt him bury his nose in the nape of her neck and inhale deeply.

“Goodnight, Rey,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her skin.

She squeezed his hand in response. The night ended nothing like she anticipated but Rey was too emotionally worn out to think about it. Within a few minutes she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

 

 


	6. Heartburn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the morning after the night before, but Rey is soon too busy to think much about Poe and their mutual revelations. It’s only when she’s not working that she has to face up to things.

It was barely light out when movement woke her. Poe got up carefully and put on his shoes. He was tugging on his plaid shirt when he turned and saw she was awake.

“Hey. I need to get back before Bea wakes up,” he said quietly. He sat down next to her briefly and brushed the hair away from her cheek with a gentle touch. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay.” And she did, until her frown returned when she remembered every detail of their conversation. “I’m sorry about last night—”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”

Nothing, she thought, except that now he likely saw her as an alcoholic with crippling intimacy issues. Rey felt pretty sorry for herself about that.  

“It’s probably for the best that nothing more happened between us,” she murmured, as much a test as it was the truth.

“Probably.”

Rey bit back her disappointment and cursed herself for thinking that he might react any other way. Or that she even wanted him to, given she was leaving soon.

“I guess it’s back to the clinic today,” she said with as much false cheer as she could muster.

“Come up to the house for breakfast when you’re ready.”

She nodded but she knew she wouldn’t, she was too mortified. Poe patted her hand before he got up which somehow made her feel worse. Rey rolled onto her back in the middle of the bed as soon as the door clicked shut, still feeling the warmth from where he’d slept beside her all night.

She stayed there staring at the ceiling long after he’d gone, before giving herself a mental kick in the rear and deciding to go for a run. Maybe she could sweat out the embarrassment and the shame, she reasoned. It was better than worrying about what Poe thought of her, when she would be free of him and the rest of the town soon enough.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

They made small talk on the drive to the clinic. Poe told her a few facts about the lake and the fishing tourism it attracted which she pretended to be interested in. For the most part Rey just felt uncomfortable and awkward. So she was actually happy to see Phasma at her desk when they arrived. Even though the nurse despised idle chatter as much she did, Rey managed to keep her talking about restocking medical supplies while she signed in. Poe didn’t wait around, leaving them to it and departing for the staff room. She went to hide in the office after that rather than hanging around in the kitchen while he made coffee, even though she desperately wanted some. She made do with a couple of apples she stole from the bowl at reception when Phasma’s back was turned.

There were only a few patients that morning and in between she volunteered to help Phasma with a stocktake of the exam room supplies. It was nothing more than busy work for both of them, but at least it was something the unfriendly nurse seemed to get a little enjoyment from. Rey managed to have a longer conversation with her than she had all week, even if it was about medical equipment.

Soon it was close to lunchtime. She was about to get changed out of her scrubs and sneak out to the diner, all while avoiding Poe, when she heard a commotion in the waiting room.

“I don’t need to see a doctor, and I definitely don’t need to see _her,_ ” said a loud male voice.

Rey came out of the office to see what was going on and saw the mayor and her husband arguing at the counter.

“Can I be of help?” she asked, deciding to be professional even if she’d rather skip this particular patient.

“Yes you can, doc,” replied Leia before he had a chance to unleash whatever gripe he was about to. “He’s been having trouble catching his breath and almost passed out when he got dressed this morning.”

“Come through to the exam room,” Rey said and waited for Phasma to hand her his patient notes.

Han continued to complain to his wife about her misplaced concern but she was clearly well practiced at ignoring him and ordered him onto the table. Rey was scanning through his chart as she closed the door behind her.

“It says here Dr. Skywalker recommended you have a heart valve operation over six months ago. Have you been having recurring issues since the surgery?”

“He hasn’t had the operation, not yet,” Leia said.

“It was a recommendation,” Han countered. “He didn’t say I _had_ to have it.”

“Only if you don’t want to die in the next five years,” his wife replied sardonically.

“I’m still making up my mind.”

Leia narrowed her eyes at him and squeezed his cheeks between her thumb and fingers. “You’re impossible, Han.”

Rey was hesitant to interrupt their domestic squabble when they kept at it, but it was her exam room so she ordered him to unbutton his shirt to listen to his heart.

“Have you noticed any increased fatigue or dizziness?” she asked him.

“No.”

“Yes,” Leia corrected.

After she’d listened to his breathing and taken his blood pressure, Rey took a step back and crossed her arms. “Can you take off your shoes for me?”

“What?” he growled. “I don’t have time for this.”

“I need to check for swelling.”

“I’ll do it, you old grump,” Leia said.

Rey noted the obvious fluid retention in his ankles and feet, and updated his chart along with his other vitals. The heart murmur was pronounced, clearly Skywalker’s diagnosis was accurate. She bluntly told the judge so.

“You have heart valve disease. You need to see a cardiologist and have surgery. As soon as you can. There’s no fluid build up in your lungs that I can hear but that doesn’t mean it’s not serious. All your other symptoms would be helped by having the operation.”

“And have some sawbones put part of a pig in me? No thanks.”

“If a full replacement is needed, then yes, a biological valve from a pig or a cow could be your best option, or there are man-made ones as well. It depends on the type of valve issue you’re suffering from and its severity. A repair might be all that’s needed. I’m sure I’m not telling you anything Dr. Skywalker hasn’t already explained.”

“No, you’re not, Dr. Kenobi,” Leia interjected kindly. “Thank you.”

“Of course if you’d rather drop dead one day, don’t have the consultation with the cardiologist. I really don’t care either way.”

The mayor look taken aback for a moment but Han let out a low chuckle as he buttoned up his shirt. “Your bedside manner needs some work. But at least you’re honest.”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” Rey admitted.

“I take it I can go then?”

She nodded.

“Are you going to help me with my shoes?” he asked his wife bluntly.

“Put on your own damn shoes, you stubborn fool. I’ll wait outside.”

Rey smothered a smile as Leia swept out of the room. Han gave an exaggerated sigh and reached for his socks on the bed. He tried to put them on but his movements were unsure. Worried he might pitch forward off the bed if he tried to bend down, Rey took over without a word and started working them onto his feet.

“You know I only came here because Chewie said you helped him with his foot. He wouldn’t shut up about it until you fixed it. Thanks,” he added begrudgingly as he watched her assisting him.

“I suppose it’s the least I can do after hitting your car,” she conceded. “Even if it was as much your fault as mine... It’s a real beauty though. I’ve never seen a car quite like it.”

“The Falcon’s a one of a kind, thanks to the custom modifications Chewie and I made,” he said in a decidedly brighter tone. “The damage wasn’t that bad in the end. And it’s a good excuse to spend more time in the garage working on her and Leia can’t complain. I guess we’re even.”

“Does that mean you’ll wipe the rest of my clinic hours?” she asked hopefully as she pushed his shoes on.

“No chance.”

“It was worth a shot.”

“I hear you saved the Dameron kid the other night. I guess she was lucky to have you around.”

“I guess,” Rey mumbled and finished tying his laces. “You really should see the cardiologist, Judge.”

“Yeah, yeah. Luke reminds me every time I see him, which thankfully isn’t very often these days.” Han eased himself to the floor. “Thanks, doc. Hopefully I won’t see you again. Artie will sort out your paperwork when you’re done so there won’t be any permanent record.”

“Thank you.”

As much as she hated being forced to stay in Resistance she really didn’t want a DUI charge following her throughout her career. Not when any medical position she applied for would be accompanied by a background check.

“Good luck out there in La-La Land,” he said with a dismissive wave.

Rey shook her head as he walked out in search of his wife.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Her thoughts returned to lunch once Han and Leia were gone, but this time when she tried to leave she found Rose and Finn in the waiting room. She was partially bent over and his arm was around her waist supporting her.

“Thank God you’re here,” Finn said, clearly in a state.

“I’m okay. It’s no big deal.” Rose’s voice was even but Rey could see the worry in her eyes.

“What’s happening?” she asked, ushering them both down the corridor to the examination room.

“It’s only back pain. I was working all morning which is why it’s flared up.”

“When I stopped by to bring her lunch she was crying,” Finn revealed which earned him a glare from his wife.

“I’m just tired, I told you. I’m sorry, doc. It could’ve waited until my appointment tomorrow.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Rey said. She quickly changed the draping on the exam table and helped her ease onto it. “Is it a constant pain or does it come and go?”

Rose shifted uncomfortably where she sat. “Pretty constant, but I guess there’s some shooting pain as well. Just here.” She gripped her lower back and hissed.

“How often?”

“Maybe every 15 or 20 minutes? I don’t really know.”

“Has your water broken?”

“No. I mean, I don’t think so. It’s back pain.”

“You’d know if it had, either leaking or a big gush. Any spotting?”

Rose shook her head.

“That’s good. But I should examine you to be on the safe side. Let’s get you out of those coveralls.”

Rey poked her head out of the room and asked Phasma to help. The nurse assisted with her clothes when Rose’s hands were shaking, got her into a gown and settled on the bed with her knees up. Rey finished washing her hands and gloved up.

“I’m just going to take a look at what’s going on,” Rey told her before pushing back her gown to conduct the exam. “Okay. Rose? You’re about three centimeters dilated.”

“Oh. What? What does it have to do with my back?”

“It means the pains you’ve been having are likely contractions and you’re in the first stage of labor.”

Rose looked horrified. “No they’re not! It’s too soon.”

“Do you want me to call Doc Skywalker?” Phasma asked.

“I think we might skip that and take a trip to the hospital. What do you say, Rose?” Rey didn’t wait for a response before accompanying the nurse to the door. “Tell Poe to fire up the ambulance then get the on-call OB on the phone.”

Rey started a saline drip and reassured Rose and Finn that it was just routine, that even if her labor progressed she was at 34 weeks so many of the dangers associated with a premature baby had passed. Rose didn’t look convinced but Finn provided the comforting manner that Rey wasn’t so adept at.

Poe appeared then, coming to a skidding stop in the doorway. “You causing trouble, Tico? I heard you need a ride.”

“Shut up, you,” she snapped at her brother-in-law. “And take us to the hospital.”

“I’ll be back in a minute, Rose, don’t go anywhere,” Rey said, then walked out to the reception counter with Poe following. Phasma held out the phone to her.

Rey gave the obstetrician an overview of the case and listened to his instructions before hanging up. She didn’t want anything to upset Rose so she remained calm in front of the clinic’s small staff despite the concern she felt deep down. Rose’s stage of pregnancy might not be classified as dangerous, but she knew any premature birth came with potential complications. Rey really didn’t want that for Rose and Finn who had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived.

“Let’s get her loaded up, Poe. Nurse Phasma, if you could stay here and cover anything…”

“Of course, Doctor.”

“That van will hold together, right?” she asked him as they returned to the exam room together.

Poe gave her a confident nod. “You bet.”

They were soon on their way to the hospital, Finn doing his best to keep Rose from panicking and supporting her through the now unmistakable contractions which were more frequent than originally reported. But it wasn’t until Rose’s water broke as she lay in the back of the ambulance and she was five centimeters dilated that Rey really started to feel apprehensive. The labor was progressing far too quickly for her liking.

“I get until 10, right? Ten centimeters?” Rose panted, her face slick with sweat.

Rey let out a breath. “If you were full term, yes.”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to worry, Rose. We’ll be at the hospital soon and they’re going to take good care of you. I promise.”

“We’re not ready. We don’t even have the crib yet,” she moaned and threw Finn an accusing look. “I told you we should have just ordered it online.”

“We’ll work it out, babe.”

She grasped his hand tighter as another wave of pain overtook her, and not looking any less distressed when it passed. Rey was watching her blood pressure closely and decided to try a distraction.

“You know you never told me the story of how you two met. How’d you end up in Resistance, Finn?”

“Er, dumb luck, I guess,” he said, trying to look calmly at Rose. “I was on a road trip to see a buddy of mine. I needed gas and this incredible woman was working there.”

“You pretended you didn’t know how to check the oil,” Rose prompted with a wan smile.

“I had to do something to keep you talking.” He glanced back at Rey. “Then she had to keep working and I thought I’d stick around town for the night.”

“The next morning he was back saying the car was stuttering. He’d pulled out a couple of spark plugs.”

“I just wanted to talk to the pretty girl again.”

“So I charged him double for the repairs then asked if he wanted to have lunch together.”

“The rest, as they say, is history. I packed up my life and moved here and we’ve been together ever since.” He kissed the back of her hand as he held it.

Rey had a hard time understanding how someone could do that for someone they’d just met but refrained from saying so. At least it seemed to have worked out for them, and Rose didn’t seem so agitated anymore.

It didn’t last long as she gritted her teeth and groaned through another contraction.

“Am I supposed to be feeling something, like, right there?” she asked quickly.

Rey got her to spread her knees further apart and then looked up at her, wide-eyed.

“What is it?”

“It’s a head. The baby’s crowning.” They were little more than halfway to the hospital. Rey pounded on the side of the van a couple of times. “Poe! Find a safe place to pull over and call the hospital.”

“What’s happening?” Rose cried.

“Your baby is coming much quicker than we thought. I’m going to need you not to push, even if you feel you want to, not yet.”

The ambulance came to a stop and Rey jumped out of the back and went around to the driver’s side where she took the phone from a worried Poe. She gave them their status, advising that it was a precipitous labor, and asked the hospital to send an ambulance to meet them.

“I’m going to need your help,” she said quietly to him. “Have you delivered a baby before?”

“No. Haven’t you?”

“I’ve assisted, but not a premature one, and not during a labor as fast as this.”

“Okay. You can do this. It’ll be fine,” he said, as if convincing himself more than her.

Poe left the emergency lights on while they both got into the back of the ambulance. Finn shuffled up closer to Rose’s head, completely freaked out.

“Poe, I don’t want you looking at my vagina!” Rose howled.

“Too late, Rosie. Sorry about that,” he said as he put on a pair of gloves.

Rey did the same after she put a few instruments within easy reach. She ran through in her mind everything she’d been taught, and the births she’d witnessed as an intern.

“Rose, on the next contraction try a small push for me, okay?”

She did, and more amniotic fluid pooled beneath her. She had only dilated another centimeter but the baby’s head came out. Rey coached her through the next pushes as she eased the shoulders out, and suddenly the baby was in her hands – it was small but all Rey cared about was the weak cry that came after a few seconds. She did a quick airway check before laying the baby on Rose’s chest.

“That’s a boy you’ve got there!” she announced.

“It is?” Rose asked as she covered him with her hands. “Is he alright?”

“He sure is.”

Tears were streaming down Finn’s face and he reached out a tentative finger to touch the baby’s back. “You did it, babe.”

“Find me a basin or something for the placenta, it’ll need to be checked at the hospital,” Rey told Poe quietly before turning her attention to the new mother. “You did a great job, Rose.”

“Are you sure he’s okay? He’s so small.”

“We’ll get him checked out at the hospital as soon as we can. You too. I’m just going to take him back for a little bit.”

Rey was focused on the baby’s breathing when she gave him to Poe to hold in a clean drape so she could checked him over again. She clamped and cut the umbilical cord and listened to his lungs the best she could. Poe was grinning from ear to ear as he held his nephew.

“Bea will be so disappointed,” he said with a chuckle. “She was sure it was a girl.”

“She’ll get over it when she sees how perfect he is,” said Rey as she completed her checks, wrapped the baby up firmly and passed him back to Rose.

By the time the hospital’s ambulance arrived the new mother and baby were ready to be transferred, along with one very proud father. Rey gave the EMTs a full rundown of what had happened and their status, promising they’d be following close behind so she could see them safely handed over to the care of the obstetrician.

When she clambered into the front seat next to Poe he gave her an appraising look. “Now I understand the scrubs.”

She glanced down at the dried blood and amniotic fluid that stained them, but didn’t give it a second thought. Poe was still smiling as he started up the van and drove after the other ambulance.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

A couple of hours later, after Rose was settled in her room and Rey had talked at length with the on-call OB, Poe found her sitting in the hallway outside the NICU where the baby was being monitored.

“How’s Rose feeling?” she asked as he took a seat beside her.

“She’s okay. Tired and still coming to grips with it all. What about the baby?”

“He’s stable and breathing well. He shouldn’t have to stay in here too long, I think.”

“That’s great,” Poe said with a relieved smile. “So listen, you should know... they’ve decided on a name.”

“Oh yeah?”

“They’re going to call him Ray.”

She made a face. “As in Raymond? That’s a terrible name for a baby!”

Poe sighed indulgently. “That’s why I thought I better warn you, so you don’t say _that_ to them. They chose it because of what you did for them today. You were amazing.”

“I didn’t do much more than catch him. That kid was in one hell of a hurry.”

“You kept her calm. You looked after her.” He nudged her shoulder. “You’re incredible under pressure. You know that, right?”

Rey smiled at the compliment, trying not to feel embarrassed. The look of open admiration he was giving her didn’t help, until it disappeared with his next words.

“But you have a terrible poker face, doc, so when they tell you what his name is pretend to be happy about it, okay?”

“I can do that,” she affirmed. “It _is_ a terrible name for a baby though.”

“It gets worse, Finn’s already dubbed him Sweet Baby Ray.”

Her hand covered her mouth as she giggled. “That poor kid. Nicknamed for a sauce is definitely worse.”

They laughed together as they sat in the relative quiet of the hospital corridor.

“How long do you need to hang around here?” he asked after they composed themselves.

“I don’t. I’ll just say goodbye to them then we can go home.” Rey felt herself blush slightly. “I mean we can go back to Resistance.”

“I know what you meant,” he said with a faint smile.

She got up quickly and changed the subject. “This is a pretty good hospital. I didn’t expect it to be so big.”

“Yeah, I like it. Not as much as the clinic though.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

They shared a final look before they reached Rose’s room and then Rey’s attention was on the new parents. She acted surprised and touched when they told her about their choice of name for the baby, and Poe gave her an approving nod when they wouldn’t notice.

“So listen, doc, about your car…” Rose said.

Rey realized that throughout all the events of the past few hours it hadn’t even occurred to her that Rose’s early delivery might jeopardize the repairs. Before she could begin to worry about what to do Rose gave her a satisfied grin.

“You’ll be pleased to know I finished the last of the engine work first thing this morning. It’s ready to go when you are.”

“Oh Rose, you didn’t have to do that. I could have made other plans.” Rey felt immediately guilty that she had pushed herself too hard, especially after all her badgering for updates.

“It’s fine, I didn’t have that much left to do, really. It was a tractor that was giving me the most grief when all this started.”

“Thank you. I’ll sort out all the insurance stuff with you as soon as you’re ready.”

“No need. You brought our son safely into the world, the least I could do is fix your car for free so you don’t get slugged with a higher premium.”

Rey was more touched by that gesture than being the baby’s namesake, and gave her a careful hug of thanks.

“We probably won’t get to see you before you leave, so good luck to you, Thoreau,” Finn said as he hugged her too. “If you ever need a good cheeseburger you know where we are.”

“You’ve got my number. Let me know how you’re all doing.” Rey was surprised that she suddenly felt upset to say goodbye to them. She responded to it by turning on her heel and walking out after muttering a final farewell.

She heard Poe promise to bring Kes and Bea to visit as soon as Rose felt up to it, and then he followed her out of the room.

“You okay?” he asked when he caught up with her at the elevator.

“Of course.”

She pressed the down button a few more times as if it would make it get there faster. Thankfully he didn’t comment on it.

“The ambulance is still in the emergency bay out front,” he said. “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

After Poe walked off Rey stopped by the ground floor bathroom in order to get a proper look at how bad her scrubs were. She didn’t have any option but to keep them on until they got back to town. She wasn’t worried about something so petty anyway, not when the events of the day caught up with her as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Rey reminded herself that she’d just successfully delivered her first pre-term baby, and it was something to be proud of. She felt increasingly buoyant and was still smiling to herself as she waited by the van for Poe who soon arrived with an armful of sandwiches, fruit and water. Rey didn’t think she could grin any harder.

“Oh my God, I’m starving!” she exclaimed and took it all from him.

“I figured. Don’t get too excited because it’s cafeteria food, but I chose the best options I could find.”

He opened the door for her so she could climb in and rip into one of the packages without delay.

“You’re the best,” she moaned after she took a huge bite of a chicken salad sandwich, and thanked him without waiting to swallow.

They finished off the rest of the food together as they drove back to Resistance. Rey was too keyed up, especially after the energy boost from her first real meal of the day, and couldn’t sit in silence or make safe small talk. She got her phone out and blasted her ‘90’s playlist, singing along loudly. When Poe joined in she felt even better, and they spent most of the journey belting out hits and harmonizing to cheesy duets. He had a beautiful voice which didn’t surprise her, and he knew all of the same songs she did. Best of all, he took his sing-along performing seriously and joined in with her expressive movements without running them off the road.

“I’m glad I got to hear it finally,” she told him, still a little breathless from laughter.

“What?”

“You. Singing. You’re pretty good.”

Poe glanced at her. “Gee thanks, doc.”

“You should get back into it,” she declared. “Finn could have an open mic night at the bar. That would solve the issue of Bea being embarrassed.”

“Maybe he could get a karaoke machine.”

“I’m serious! You could get back into performing again.”

“Who says I want to?”

“I think you do,” she said more gently.

Rey realized she had been staring at him for too long when his eyes flicked to her again.

“What?” he asked, clearly amused.

“Nothing,” she mumbled and turned back to look out of the window again with a small smile. “Today was a good day.”

“Yeah it was.”

Rey had managed to expend most of her excess energy by the time they made it back to the clinic. The sun was low in the sky and she was surprised to find Leia there talking to Phasma. They’d already updated the nurse on what had happened with Rose so she guessed the mayor was there to get the latest news.

“Welcome back,” Leia said brightly when she saw them both. “How is our newest citizen of Resistance?”

“He’s perfect, and Rose is doing well too,” Rey replied without divulging any other details. “Is everything okay here? The Judge?”

“Oh, he’s fine. I did want to stop by and tell you that he’s finally agreed to see a cardiologist.”

“That’s great news.”

“It’s a miracle, is what it is,” Leia corrected and Poe nodded in agreement. “So in light of that, your delivery of Master Ray today, and taking care of our little Bea, I’m here to tell you that your remaining community service hours have been officially waived.”

Rey hadn’t expected that. “Really?”

“You’ve done more than enough for the town since you’ve been with us. It’s time to get you back on the road to LA.”

Rey glanced at Poe whose expression was just as stunned, then he smiled grimly. “I guess it’s lucky Rose finished working on your car.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, still slightly in shock. “Do I need to see anyone or sign anything?”

“I’ll take care of it,” the mayor said.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Rey held out her hand. “If that’s the case I suppose I’ll leave tomorrow.”

Leia used their handshake to pull her closer and lowered her voice. “My previous offer still stands if you change your mind. You know where we are.”

She let Rey go and gave Poe’s shoulder a squeeze. “Congratulations, uncle. I’ll see you around.”

Rey watched her leave then looked at Poe and Phasma in turn. “I’ll just go pack a few things in the office. Do you think we could pick up my car, Poe?”

“Sure,” he replied quietly.

“Thanks.”

When she got to the office Rey realized that she had very little to take with her. Her patient notes were up to date, once she added the details of Ray’s birth on Rose’s chart, and if Skywalker or Phasma needed anything more they could always call her. She took a moment to change out of her soiled scrubs and back into normal clothes before returning to the reception counter where Phasma was waiting for her.

“Don’t forget to sign out, doctor,” she said in what Rey took to be her friendliest tone. The nurse even gave her half a smile.

She noted down the time and signed her name next to the last entry on the clipboard. “Well, it’s been quite a week. Thank you for everything.”

“I was just doing my job.” Phasma’s tone and expression were back to normal as she busied herself with her files.

Poe emerged from the staff room with his bag and asked if she was ready to go. Rey took a last look around the clinic and nodded.

They walked the short distance to Rose’s garage in silence. Rey was worried when the office was closed up but he found her keys in the glove compartment of the unlocked Prius that was parked behind the building. She suppressed a roll of her eyes, because of course they’d just leave it out for anyone to steal like that, but she was relieved to get behind the wheel again.

“What time do you think you’ll need to leave tomorrow?” he asked from the passenger seat as she drove out of the lot.

“After breakfast, I guess. I’ve got a long drive ahead of me.”

“I’m sure Bea and Kes will want to give you a proper send off, if you can bear it.”

She pressed her lips together for a moment. “Of course.”

“I do too, just in case you were wondering,” he added. “We’re going to miss you.”

Rey wasn’t ready to respond to that, and remained distracted by her thoughts the rest of the journey. Poe said nothing more.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Kes and Bea had already eaten dinner by the time they reached the Dameron property but were keen to see photos of Ray on Poe’s phone. Bea expressed dismay that her cousin was a boy, though she was looking forward to meeting him. She was happy to no longer be the baby of the family.

After that Poe broke the news that Rey would be leaving in the morning. Bea frowned darkly but seemed resigned to her departure, while Kes started planning what he would cook for her farewell breakfast.

“There’s leftovers if you’re hungry now,” he said. “I can make you a plate.”

She found herself inching closer to the front door. “No, I’m okay, thank you. I think the day’s finally catching up with me. And I still need to pack.”

“See you in the morning, Rey,” Bea said and ran over to hug her tightly around the waist.

Rey stiffened initially at the contact before putting her arm around the girl and giving the top of her head a few pats. “Good night, Bea.”

Kes went upstairs to read with her, leaving Rey alone with Poe. She’d gone back to feeling tongue-tied with him, with her departure was imminent. The fun they’d had on the drive from the hospital felt like a distant memory.

“I’ll help hook your trailer up, if you like,” he offered.

“Okay. Thanks.”

She knew it could wait until morning, especially after the day they’d just had, but he didn’t seem to mind. He switched out Rose’s old pickup for her Prius, double checking the connection to make sure it was secure. Within 20 minutes it was done, and they found themselves standing in the light of the guest house porch without speaking again.  

Rey was fully aware that they still hadn’t discussed their mutual revelations from the previous night, or the fact they’d nearly had sex again. She didn’t suppose there was much point talking about it now that she was leaving sooner than originally planned. Something still felt unfinished though, and it was making her tense and awkward.

“I meant what I said earlier,” he said eventually. “We’ll miss you. I’ll miss you. I’m glad I met you, doc.”

Rey ducked her head. It was now or never. “Me too. It may not have been under the best of circumstances, but I can’t say I regret all of it.”

When she dared to look at him again he was smiling kindly at her, as if he knew how hard it was for her to say even that much. “If you’re ever passing this way again…”

“If you ever find yourself in LA…” she continued in his same light tone. “Maybe we could catch up for coffee or something.”

“I’d like that.”

Beyond that he didn’t suggest they keep in touch and nor did she. It would have just been empty words. Poe walked her to the door, close enough to make her more aware of him but not enough to make contact. She fought against the familiar tug of desire she felt, made worse when she turned to look into his eyes. She told herself she needed a shower, she needed to pack, she needed sleep… she didn’t need to be with him one last time.

“Do you want to come in?” Rey asked anyway.

He looked over her shoulder at the door and what was beyond, his expression inscrutable for a moment. She saw the indecision flash across his face followed by resignation just before he spoke.

“I shouldn’t.”

“I get it,” she murmured, remembering every shameful thing she’d told him about herself. She didn’t blame him.

“It’s going to be hard enough to say goodbye to you tomorrow,” he said softly, his gaze intense.

A lump formed in her throat. “You don’t think I’m a lost cause?”

“I think you’re many things, Rey Kenobi. A lost cause is definitely not one of them.”

She tried to smile but found she couldn’t. “Don’t be too sweet to me. I’m not sure I can take it.”

“Then go. Get outta here. Who needs ya?” he said jokingly which allowed her to finally grin along with him.

“Good night, asshole.”

“Good night.”

She turned to open the door but suddenly his hand was on her arm.

“Wait. Just in case I don’t get a chance to do this tomorrow.”

He moved to cup her jaw and without hesitation she stepped in closer as he kissed her. It wasn’t like their heated kisses, it was tender and charged with emotion. Rey felt her eyes prick with tears when they parted a few seconds later, far too soon for her liking.

She didn’t trust her voice to say anything else to him and was relieved when Poe was the one to turn away first.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Tired as she was, Rey couldn’t sleep. A warm shower didn’t help. Nor did reorganizing her suitcase. Midnight came and went and she found herself still wide awake, her brain refusing to be silent. She couldn’t stop thinking about Poe and the kiss, which frustrated her at first then turned into something more like melancholy as the hours ticked by and sleep didn’t come to her. She listened for his knock on the door, hoping, despite his earlier words, but it never came.

By the time the first light appeared in the sky she was dressed and sitting on her neatly made bed. She’d made up her mind. Rey knew herself, and she knew she wasn’t cut out for goodbyes.

She scribbled a short note of thanks for their hospitality and rested it against the half-empty jar of moonshine on the shelf. Once her suitcase was loaded into the back of her car she eased the Prius down the driveway, grateful for the quiet engine so she wouldn’t disturb anyone in the main house.

She told herself it was for the best. A clean break. No use prolonging the inevitable, or risk teary farewells. This way was better.

The main street of Resistance was empty as she drove through town and was soon at the site of her accident that started the whole bizarre detour her life had taken. Now it was time to get back on track.

Rey didn’t look in the rear mirror as she sped away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😬


	7. The Book of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey begins her new life in LA but thoughts of Resistance are hard to shake, forcing her to decide what she truly wants for herself.

* * *

Rey was exhausted. It was a mind-numbing, bone-crunching tired that she was supposed to be accustomed to, but after six weeks in LA it hadn't happened. Everyone knew the first 30 days were the hardest in any new residency, when young doctors were thrown into the deep end to sink or swim. Rey was prepared for it, she’d survived medical school clinical rotations and her internship in harder circumstances. So she didn’t understand why everything seemed so much more difficult now.

The hospital was certainly better equipped than the one in Baltimore, and it was fully staffed. As a junior resident she was able to skip most of the tedious scut work that the first year interns were saddled with, and had already scrubbed in on a handful of surgeries to observe and assist. Her apartment was the nicest she’d ever lived in, and her roommate bearable if a little more sociable than she would have liked.

She had expected to be over the transition by now.

All Rey could think about was that she had another four years of this stretching out ahead of her, even longer when she pursued a surgical specialty and fellowship. Her end goal was at least a decade away still. It wasn’t a comforting thought.

Rey blamed the fatigue. She was surviving on black coffee and energy drinks like her colleagues, even though as doctors they knew better. Her focus was getting through her 24-hour shifts, ideally without making a mistake and being humiliated by the senior residents. As always she was diligent in her work and preparation before every shift, even those that started at 5 a.m. with early rounds. She didn’t complain about overnights that everyone hated or being on call one day out of three. She completed her rounds, attended every learning conference, and was always up to date with her paperwork.

All of that was hard, but she felt worse in between shifts. The caffeine consumption caught up with her and so did her insomnia. Rey read medical journals, tried to wear herself out by running, or drinking warm milk. She even bought a meditation app. Nothing helped. So it was seemingly inevitable when she slipped into old habits, and hanging out with the other residents at a bar after work became the norm. What she avoided thinking about was the number of times she drank alone in her room in order to go to sleep, if she wasn’t on call. It got the job done.

It wasn’t so easy to ignore, however, when she woke up on her day off after an 80-hour week to find one of the other residents in her bed. There had been a group of them at the bar the previous night, that much she knew. The rest was hazy but she did recall propositioning him, despite thinking he was an arrogant jerk most of the time.

She pulled on a t-shirt and underwear on her way to the bathroom, leaving him passed out on her side of the bed. She felt nauseous and vaguely remembered throwing up at some point. When she got a glimpse of herself in the mirror Rey stopped and stared. Mascara was smeared under both eyes, her skin was pale and hair lank. She barely recognized herself. With shaking fingers she retrieved a makeup wipe to clean her face, and did a poor job of it when the stinging chemicals made her eyes water. Soon real tears took over and she began to cry in self pity, forcing her to slide to the floor away from the mirror so she didn’t have to witness her own pathetic weakness.

Rey knew she was resilient. Her whole life she’d looked after herself and learned how to keep her emotions in check. She’d experienced plenty of difficult times and prided herself on being able to survive anything. This sort of aching misery was not something she was used to dealing with.

It took a while to compose herself but when she did Rey washed her face, drank a large glass of water and returned to her bedroom. After shaking her colleague’s arm she tossed him his clothes and told him he had to leave.

“Good morning to you,” he grumbled. “What time is it?”

Fortunately it was still early enough that her roommate wouldn’t be awake. When he realized she was serious about him getting out he shook his head and got dressed.

“No need to be a bitch about it, Kenobi.”

Yep, he was a great choice, she thought to herself, and didn’t bother replying.

As soon as he was gone she changed the bedsheets, drank more water, and tried to catch up on some sleep. When she couldn’t, she reached for her phone and brought up the pictures that Rose had sent her. The first was of baby Ray the day he was released from the NICU, the other was of Bea holding him. The girl was looking into the camera with an uncertain smile and Rey could imagine her continued forthright reaction to being denied a female cousin. She smiled sadly at the screen for a few more seconds, then shoved the phone under her pillow.

She had been too busy and too tired to think about Resistance and its inhabitants. At least, she tried. Rey was experienced with clean breaks – she knew exactly how to move on and not look back. But she did wonder about them sometimes… little insignificant things like if Bea had finished her science project, or whether Han and Chewie were still working on the Falcon, or if Dr. Skywalker had ventured back into town. Anything beyond that was off limits, she told herself unsuccessfully.

She knew no good could come of thinking about Poe, and yet despite her best efforts she did, repeatedly. How his studies were going, if he was making house calls with Phasma, did he ask Finn about an open night mic, had he stopped being oblivious and asked Kay out. Did he ever think about the socially inept, flawed doctor he’d hooked up with briefly. She wondered, but she never contacted him to find out. That was definitely off limits.

She hadn’t been in touch with any of them, not even to thank Rose for the pictures. A clean break was best, she told herself.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

Rey started her shift the next day no more refreshed than if she’d come off being on call. They began with rounds before being briefed on the new admissions. As she scanned the electronic charts, her eyes widened on one particular case.

“I’ll take this one,” she said quickly, interrupting the senior resident’s overview of it.

“I wasn’t asking for volunteers, Kenobi. But fine, it’s yours. Moving on…”

Rey paid little attention to the rest of the briefing and soon left for her consultation. She was already smiling as she tapped on the door to the private room and Leia looked up from her husband’s bedside, beaming at her.

“Rey! This is the hospital you’re working at? What a coincidence,” she said and crossed the room to embrace her.

Rey wasn’t sure she believed the mayor’s words, especially when her brown eyes twinkled mischievously like they so often did. Still, she accepted the hug and held on for a few extra seconds, happier to see familiar faces than she was expecting.

“How are you both? Finally listened to reason, Judge?”

“I let her drag my ass all the way to California, what do you think?” Han said with his usual bluntness. “How you doing, kid?”

“Oh, you know. Busy,” Rey replied, her eyes flicking to his chart evasively. She could feel Leia staring at her.

“You look exhausted.” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“Leave her alone,” grumbled Han as Rey approached to check the readouts on his monitor.

“You do look like shit,” he muttered to her so Leia couldn’t overhear.

Rey gave him a look. “Thank you. I’m more interested in how you’re feeling. I see you’re scheduled for a valve replacement tomorrow.”

“I’m going man-made, no swine.”

“I’m glad you came to your senses. Did the cardiologist explain the procedure to you?”

Han complained about having to listen to graphic descriptions of open heart surgery when all he was interested in was having the whole thing over and done with so he could go home.

“Your surgeon will be by this afternoon so if you have any questions—” she glanced at Leia, “either of you, he’ll take you through them.”

“Are you going to be there tomorrow?” asked Han, and she thought she spied the first sign of trepidation.

“I’ll probably get to scrub in but luckily for you I’ll only be observing.”

“Good. I was worried for a minute they’d let you loose with the scalpel.”

Rey smiled and gave his hand a brief squeeze anyway. She turned to Leia.

“You look thinner,” the mayor said before Rey had a chance to say anything. “Are you getting enough to eat? Let me take you to the cafeteria.”

“I can’t, I’m working. But thank you.” She moved to make a few notes in his chart and mentioned that she had other patients to see. “It’s really good to see you both.”

The platitude was out of Rey’s mouth before she thought much about it, then later she realized she actually meant it.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

The next morning Han’s surgery was carried out successfully and Rey was in the operating room with him. Leia breathed a sigh of relief as the surgeon gave her the good news afterwards, leaving Rey to explain the post-operative procedures in more detail as they sat together in the family waiting room.

“He’ll be in post-op for a while now but then you’ll be able to see him.”

“Thank you, dear. I know he’s in good hands.”

“I have a half-hour break if you want to get a cup of coffee or something to eat while you wait?” She thought the mayor looked like she needed the distraction.

Leia patted her hand. “I’ll have coffee. You eat. You need some meat on your bones, young lady.”

Rey rolled her eyes as she got up to follow Leia down the corridor, but let her buy a couple of sandwiches and other snacks which they took to a corner of the cafeteria. She dutifully finished off one of the sandwiches while Leia supervised and sipped at her coffee.

“How is everyone?” Rey asked finally, feeling better having eaten.

“Everyone in Resistance is just fine.”

“Rose sent me a photo of the baby. He’s looking good.”

“Sweet Baby Ray. He’s adorable.”

Rey grinned at the ridiculous nickname before looking down at her tray. She wanted to ask more questions but it felt unwise, like opening Pandora’s box.

“He misses you, you know,” Leia said gently.

Rey frowned slightly. “Who?”

“‘Who?’ Are we really going to play that game? I see things. I know things. Poe has been moping around the clinic ever since you left. And I’ll say it again, you don’t look so great yourself.”

“I told you, I’m just tired,” Rey replied, focusing on the safer part of Leia’s pronouncement.

“Is that all?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you happy here?”

She shrugged. “What is happy anyway? I’ve worked my whole life to be where I am. I’m fulfilling my goals and learning new things every day… It’s a long road ahead but eventually I’ll get there.”

“And in the meantime, what? You’ll be miserable?”

“I’m not miserable,” Rey argued even as tears suddenly pricked her eyes. She avoided Leia’s piercing stare and fought to keep her emotions in check for the second time in as many days.

“Rey, I’m old, and I’ve learned a thing or two in my time. And because I’m old I get to impart that wisdom whether you want to hear it or not. So here goes… Work is just work. A career can be fulfilling but it isn’t a life. Don’t close yourself off from the people who care about you. They’re the ones who make it all worthwhile.”

Rey let out a steadying breath, not wanting to get into an argument with her. No matter how well intentioned the sentiment was, she didn’t have the energy to explain why she was so focused and driven. She certainly couldn’t admit that she doubted her own ability to handle anything more than work. At least that was something she knew. At least that could be controlled.

Leia wasn’t finished. “I’m not saying you should go back, even though I would certainly support your decision if you did. I understand you have goals and ambition, and Resistance may not be able to give you the career you always imagined for yourself. But don’t ignore the possibility that there’s more out there in the universe for you. And you have every right to be happy while you find it.”

Rey sat back in her chair, her eyes downcast. She wondered if she’d had any kind of a loving, responsible mother she might have received that advice already. As it was, it was hard to hear and even harder to believe. She bit her lip and said nothing for a full minute.

“He’s been moping?” Rey asked eventually, risking a glance at Leia who smiled faintly.

“He’s getting on with everything like he always does. But I know Poe better than most. In fact I’ve known him all his life. His mother used to work for me, and Kes served with Han in the army.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“When Shara died he was just a boy, no older than Bea. I suppose I’ve had a soft spot for him since then, and given my own son’s choices in life… Well, let’s just say I take something of a maternal interest in Poe’s happiness. Bea’s too.”

It was the first Rey had heard of Leia and Han having a son but it wasn’t the time to ask.

“So you _are_ here trying to play matchmaker,” Rey prodded.

“I wouldn’t presume. I’m just passing on information.” Leia placed her hands on the table and leaned towards her. “You’re clearly missed by many people, is all I’ll say. What you do with that is up to you.”

Rey wasn't sure she'd been missed by anyone before. A couple of her nicer foster families, maybe. But she'd never kept in touch with any of them when her parents reclaimed custody. She wasn't sure if she believed Leia, or if it was all a ruse to get her to go back. Surely there had to be easier ways to attract a doctor to the rural town, she thought. 

“Is this why you came all the way to LA? To this hospital?”

Leia tilted her head, her expression indulgent. “This hospital is one of the best, you said so yourself. And that’s what I wanted for Han. I’ve loved that man since I was 19. I’m not ready to lose him yet. He might be an ornery old fool, but he’s my ornery old fool.”

Rey blushed faintly at her own conceitedness. She hadn't known any couple who’d been together as long as they had, and it was touching, if surprising, to see up close how much they still loved each other. She reached out to take Leia’s hand. “He’ll be fine. You’ll be able to take him home in a few days.”

“That’s all I care about,” Leia said as she gripped her hand a little tighter. “Now, I want you to eat some more while I go and check when he’ll be back in his room.”

“I’ll be in to see him later,” Rey assured her. “Just ask the nurse to page me if you need anything.”

Leia got up and stopped at her side to place a gentle hand on Rey’s cheek. “I will. Thank you for looking after him.”

She tried to smile but whether it was Leia’s touch or their conversation, she felt too emotional again.

Leia’s hand dropped to her shoulder and she bent down close to her ear. “Just say the word and I’ll make the call.”

The mayor left her at that. Rey sat for a moment, lost in thought, then swore under her breath when she realized she was late for an M&M conference. Shoving what remaining food would fit in the pockets of her white coat, she jogged out of the cafeteria.

 

☤ ☤ ☤  

 

Leia’s words haunted her the rest of the shift. As Rey checked on Han and her other patients throughout the afternoon and evening, wrote up detailed notes, avoided her one night stand in the on-call room, and passed off to the next resident the following morning, she couldn’t stop thinking about everything she’d said. It was still with her as she curled up on the bed in her darkened room at 9 a.m. and tried to sleep.

Rey had never given much thought to her own happiness. Hard work, yes. Vengeance for a shitty childhood full of abandonment and disappointment, absolutely. She figured the good stuff would come later, when she was a successful and wealthy surgeon. That would bring her security and self satisfaction, and that was as close to happiness as she knew. The idea never involved other people – friends or a partner or children. In her experience relying on other people was not worth the inevitable pain.

She had her work. She had aspired to be a surgeon for as long as she could remember. And while it was difficult now, Rey was confident it wouldn’t always be that way. Sure, the attending surgeons didn’t look any less worn out than the residents. They complained constantly about the on-call hours and the hospital politics. They kept their focus on the operations and not the personal lives of their patients. But they drove their expensive European cars and paid off their student loans and were respected. She could be just like them.

Rey never asked herself if that was what she really wanted. It was all that she understood, all that she knew. That was, until recently. She’d experienced a different kind of medicine in Resistance, and though it wasn’t always exciting or meaningful work, she had to admit it was rewarding. When she thought about Rose, Finn and baby Ray in the back of the crappy ambulance, or Bea crying in Poe’s arms after almost choking, she knew it. Even Han, finally getting the surgery he had been avoiding. She had provided the care they needed and in turn they’d touched her life in a way she hadn’t anticipated. She’d made a fuss about being forced to work in Resistance but she couldn’t deny the begrudging affection she felt for the place and its quirky citizens.

They’d welcomed her with kindness and acceptance, despite her misgivings. Even the gruff oddballs like Han, Luke and Phasma had made her feel included in their own way. And Bea, with her worldly pragmatism and her morbid fascination with death, had connected with her almost instantly even though Rey still didn’t know why. She was the first child she had ever bothered to get to know since she was one herself.

Then there was Poe, who was open and friendly and maybe almost as screwed up as she was about relationships. Rey never expected to feel anything for him because she hadn’t before, not really. She didn’t know why or how but she cared about him in a way that took her by surprise. It had scared her, and still did, but at least she knew she _could._ That maybe she wasn’t so damaged or undeserving. That maybe he cared about her, too.

Rey couldn’t sleep. Her mind wouldn’t quiet. Her fingers twitched anxiously. She had to make a decision.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

A week after Han and Leia went to LA, Poe pushed open the door of the clinic.

“I’m back,” he announced to Phasma. “Doc Skywalker sends his regards, the patient charts you wanted him to review, and some of his homemade venison sausages.”

He handed her a wrapped package along with a stack of cards, and then looked up in surprise when Rey appeared in the open doorway of the office. She was wearing her dark blue scrubs, and a stethoscope was slung around her neck.

“Wha—?” he breathed, then shut his mouth as a frown creased his brow.

“Hi,” she said.

“Why aren’t you in LA?”

She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. “I still owed the town some clinic hours. I wanted to fulfill my obligations.”

Phasma stood up slowly with her packet of sausages. “I’m... going to take these upstairs.”

They waited as the nurse retreated to her apartment, but Rey’s chest was still thumping and she felt no less nervous.

“Do you want to maybe come in and talk?” she said and motioned towards the office.

Poe looked reluctant even as he followed her inside.

“Why are you really here?” he asked suspiciously. “What happened to your residency?”

“Nothing. It’s still there.”

“But you’re here.”

“Yeah.” Rey made an awkward face. “I sort of walked out.”

He was still frowning in confusion, his dark eyes boring into hers. “Why?”

“I guess I realized it wasn’t going to make me happy. That the idea of it, of being a surgeon, was just something I held onto for so long but I never really thought about the reality of it.” She shrugged again helplessly. “I’m not so sure anymore that it’s enough. And I got to thinking that maybe it wasn’t too late to try and find something different. Maybe even something I’d love doing.”

He looked shocked. “Are you quitting medicine?”

She smiled and let out a short chuckle. “No. I still live in the real world. I met the residency director at St. Clara’s. Leia pulled some strings. They have a spot open and if I work hard I can catch up with this year’s resident intake.”

Poe shook his head. “I don’t understand… You’re staying and doing your residency in family practice?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Maybe I liked it more than I realized, once I let myself enjoy it. I liked getting to know my patients. I even got used to them calling me doc. This place kinda grew on me.” She glanced at her feet then forced herself not to be a coward and met his gaze once more. “And maybe, if I didn’t screw everything up, there’s something other than work for me here.”

Rey’s nervousness was not helped by Poe’s expression which hadn’t changed. He crossed his arms.

“You left without saying a proper goodbye.”

“I know.”

“Bea was upset. You can’t do that to a kid. Not to my kid.”

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Rey admitted, feeling terrible. “Does she hate me now?”

“No, she doesn’t hate you. She misses you.”

“I miss her too.” She bit her lip, waiting for him to say something more but he just stared at her.

“Do you hate me now?” Rey asked quietly. She was afraid of the answer, whatever he said, but she needed to know.

He sighed. “No, you idiot, I don’t hate you.”

“Oh. That’s good. I mean, not you calling me an idiot, but…”

A smile played on Poe’s lips.

“I know it’s a lot, my just turning up like this,” she forged on. “I should have called. I should have told you before I left that I care about you. And there’s no pressure now, of course. My being here is not dependent on something more happening between us. Unless you want it to.”

“Rey…” he started, but the hesitation in his voice made her panic.

“I’m not saying let’s get married and spend the rest of our lives together. You have Bea to think about and your own career. And, let’s face it, I come with some baggage. I’m not used to anything but being on my own. I have a tendency to drink too much and I, um, need to get some help for that. I am over $150,000 in debt. All of my possessions are in the back of my second hand car, and my ex-roommate has probably put the rest on Craigslist by now. I have at least another three years as a resident which means long hours and little time for anything else. I’m not sure I have a lot to offer anyone right now. Or, you know, ever.”

Poe cocked an eyebrow. “Are you done?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Are you planning on disappearing again?”

“No,” Rey said, then decided to be completely honest. “But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. I don’t really know how to do this.”

“I think it’s supposed to start with a date. I mean, that’s what they tell me. I knocked up a friend of mine and got married, so I definitely don’t have all the answers.”

They shared a smile and she felt a bit more relaxed.

“What do you say, doc? Do you want to get that cup of coffee some time? Maybe dinner?”

“I’d like that.”

“Okay then.” His arms dropped to his sides but he didn’t make any move towards her, to Rey’s disappointment.

“Where are you planning on staying tonight?” he asked instead.

“Phasma offered me her couch upstairs.”

Poe grimaced slightly. “I’m not sure you want to do that, not when she’s got venison sausages. Because that means Chewie is gonna come calling, and you do not want to be here for that, trust me.”

“What? Chewie and Phasma?”

“They’ve been sneaking around for the past year. Only they think no one knows so don’t say anything.”

“Well, I guess the exam room has a bed…” Rey trailed off. “Although that doesn’t really solve the proximity problem if those two are upstairs.”

“The guest house is still free if you want it,” he offered.

“Is that a good idea? I don’t want to make things difficult for you, or confuse Bea. I never meant to hurt her by leaving the way I did.”

“I know that. It’ll be fine.”

“Then, yes. Thank you. I’d like that,” she said, feeling a little more hopeful even if he still hadn’t moved from where he was standing. “I don’t have any more patients, if you want to go now. I can follow you in my car.”

“I can’t leave yet, there’s something I forgot to do before,” he murmured. “When I first saw you, actually.”

Rey held her breath for the three seconds it took for Poe to close the distance between them and his lips captured hers. She was flooded with relief and something else, something less definable in his familiar touch and taste, and the way his arms enveloped her securely. All she could think was that it felt like belonging. And it felt like home.

“I missed you,” he whispered against her ear when he hugged her to him.

Rey cradled the back of his head with her hand, her fingers slipping into his curls as she sighed in contentment. She knew they still had plenty to talk through if a relationship was really going to work between them. She wasn’t afraid to try, for once. She wanted to be with him, and Bea and Kes and Porgy, all of them. Rey kissed him again thoroughly just in case he was in any doubt.

 

☤ ☤ ☤

 

That night they had dinner with Kes and Bea in celebration of Rey’s surprise return. Bea rarely left her side, filling her in on everything that had happened in Resistance since she left, including the fact she had started the fourth grade. She liked her teacher but the lessons were all too easy so far. Rey heard the news about baby Ray and saw his latest pictures. She looked forward to visiting them the following day and seeing how Rose was doing.

After dinner when Poe and Bea went off to read, Rey settled back into the guest house. She unpacked her suitcase and actually put her clothes away in the dresser this time. Everything looked the same otherwise, even the jar of moonshine on the shelf. With a silent apology to the Ackbars, she tipped the rest of it into the sink.

She took a shower after brushing her teeth while waiting for the hot water to kick in, and changed into soft pajama shorts and a t-shirt before curling up with the residency manual from St. Clara’s. Rain that had been threatening all afternoon began to fall and she stopped reading for a moment and smiled at the sound.

Rey’s smile was more pronounced a few minutes later when she heard a gentle knock on the door, and she set the manual aside.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who read this. It did start out as a fluffy rom-com like its movie inspiration, I swear. 
> 
> I appreciate all of the wonderful support from your lovely comments so, so much. xx


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